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Natural Birth
~adamwife~
member
XP: Anyone here have a homebirth?
~adamwife~
member
I recently found out I'm pregnant with #3, want a homebirth this time and was wondering if anyone that had one would be willing to share their experience with me.
I am curious about whether or not you had back-up care with an OB during the pregnancy, how far your midwife was from you, what you purchased to prepare for the birth and whether or not you got your insurance to cover it.
Thanks!
ETA - midwives are hard to find where I am (Ohio) and the only one I have found so far willing to deliver in my area is over two hours away. Would you be comfortable with that. My first labor took 17 hours, but the second was only 7. I imagine the third could be even faster.
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Re: XP: Anyone here have a homebirth?
As for your ETA, I don't know if I'd be comfortable with that distance. I'm curious what others have to say.
I'm not sure either. We don't even have CNMs in the hospitals in my area anymore, so if I can't find a different midwife, I would have to find an OB and deliver in the hospital. I really don't want that.
Even if I call as soon as I know I am in labor, two hours seems like an awfully long time, especially in Ohio in March. It could still be snowing then!
My doula is a midwife assistant, so I would feel comfortable with her delivering if the midwife didn't make it in time. That's not my concern. I just want someone there who is certified in neonatal resuscitation to take care of my baby afterwards. I don't feel comfortable without someone who has all of the appropriate supplies/meds.
Ugh. Ohio. Luckily it's early enough that I may be able to find someone else.
IL has similar hangups with midwives-- I'd suggest going to Mothering.com and going to the "Find Your Tribe" section... you might be able to find an underground midwife or one in a nearby state or something.
GL.
Backup care with an OB - I switched to homebirth at 36 weeks, so the majority of my prenatal care was done by hospital-based midwives working in a practice with OBs. Had I been with my homebirth midwife from the beginning, I don't think she has a formal arrangement with a backup OB, and I don't think I would have specifically sought one out -- but I'm not sure.
How far my midwife was from me - about an hour's drive. I'd be a little nervous about two hours, but if that's the only option, that's the only option. I'd just want to have backup plans on what to do if it became clear she wasn't going to make it.
What I purchased to prepare for the birth - My midwife requires her clients to purchase a birth kit, which contains pretty much everything she needs but doesn't bring herself... from chux pads to hydrogen peroxide to Hibiclens to a postpartum herbal bath. I just had to go to a web site, put in my midwife's name, and the right box appeared on my doorstep a few days later. Very easy.
Insurance - is a VERY long story. As of right now, they've covered about 1/3rd of the charges, BUT the claims are still being processed (actually, re-processed) and I think they'll end up covering much more.
Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)
We had a homebirth and it was wonderful. I am doing a birth center birth this time since I'm overseas, will be going back to the U.S. to deliver and living in temporary quarters. But I'm really wishing I could do another homebirth. It's so great to be in your own space and not have to go anywhere when you're done!!
I did not have back-up care with an OB - didn't see any need for it. My midwives are fully equipped to deal with normal prenatal care. The birth center with which they are affiliated was about a 25-minute drive from my house. The midwives themselves lived as far as 2 hours away, but whoever was on call would stay at the center. The center gave us a list of items to have on hand at home for the birth - things like chux pads, sterilized gauze, erithromycin (sp?), a nasal syringe, etc. In addition to the required things, we bought a baby pool and paraphernalia to fill and empty it, to use as a tub for laboring in (though I didn't spend much time in there, as it turned out).
My insurance covered the birth, though about half-way through my pregnancy, they had threatened to drop the practice. DH and I had decided we would pay out of pocket if that happened. I'm truly terrified of delivering in a hospital!
In your case, I would be a little wary of the 2-hour distance, but I would advise you to talk to the mw about your concerns in that area before making a decision. She may have dealt with this issue in the past and might have ways of making it work. Good luck!
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I'm in Ohio and had a homebirth with a CNM. What part of Ohio are you in? If you want to PM me it that's okay.
If I became in high risk, my midwife would have many OBs to refer me to that she works in close contact with. In fact with my 2nd pregnancy I transfered out at 37 weeks due to a planceta abruption. My midwife is 1 hour from me (she also has a birth center but I choose a homebirth). I was not concerned with it- she really prepares us and in fact went over stuff with us extensively on what to do if the baby arrived before she did. My 1st labor was only 4 hours and I waited to call her and she almost missed it so she told me next time to call her much earlier. Her policy on coming is call me when you want me- meaning I don't have to wait for contractions to be X amount apart, etc. My insurance did cover my homebirth as if it was a hospital birth. Their only requirement was it had to be with a CNM and it had to be at home- not at the birth center (which is really silly).
I LOVED LOVED LOVED my homebirth. I mourned for a long time the birth/labor of my 2nd because it was at a hospital and just not comparable to my 1st. I really hope when we have baby #3 that it can be done at home as well. If you have more specific questions, I'd be more than happy to answer them.
YGPM
I just responded
I am curious about whether or not you had back-up care with an OB during the pregnancy: I do consult with my midwives back up OB, and I was with my old OB until I switched over at 12 weeks.
how far your midwife was from you: She's 45 mins away, but with CHicago traffic, if I went into labor during rush hour, it could be an hour and a half- I just plan on notifying her early in labor so that she can prepare.
what you purchased to prepare for the birth and whether or not you got your insurance to cover it: We are having a waterbirth, so we are renting the tub from my midwife ($100) and buying the standard birth kit ($75. I have Aetna insurance which is notoriously terrible for homebirths, but I am paying a total of $2400 for prenatal care, delivery, and post natal care, which I don't think is bad. Insurance covered $1600 of the total midwife chage for everything (total fee was $4000).
I sortof had back up care with an OB I went there at 20 weeks and that is the OB she uses. But I didn't see him any other time.
She is a whopping 10 min from me.
We rented the birth pool from her, we bought a few tarps and that was it.
We don't know about insurance yet, my M/W always submits it (but they say they don't cover it , so I'm thinking it is a no)
I know my m/w when there are clients who are farther away 1 hour plus she has them call at any sign of labor and she goes out there and sometimes stays for a day or 2.
How close are you to the hospital? I'd consider it as long as I knew if I needed to I could go to the hospital if she didn't get there in time.
Hi!
I had my son at home in March 2009. My MW actually has an 'unofficial' back upo agreement with the office I had care under for my 1st baby (that office has a HB-friendly OB and a MW). I ony saw him once, for an u/s at 22 weeks to check for placenta previa. He was super kind and supportive of my plans.
My midwife was about 15 minutes from me.
I didn't have maternity coverage, so I didn't even try to get my insurance to cover it. I paid my MW every visit in cash, so the birth was paid off at 36 weeks.
For the birth, my MW provided a birth kit with chux, bags, herbs, pads, mesh undies, etc. I bought cheap towels, a plastic tablecloth for under the birth pool, a birth pool, a water thermometer, a 'skimmer' (just in case...), knee pads for gardeners for my MW to use on my tile floor, freezer bag for the placenta...I'm sure there is more but I am kind of forgetting 16 months later!
As far as the distance...my 1st baby was posterior and a 27 hour labor. My son, at home, was 4 hours from "Hm...pretty sure these are contractions." to birth. For ME, if we have another kid, I will want my MW close by again.
GOOD LUCK!!
PS: My son's birth story, info about the appointments, etc are on my blog. If you scroll down to the section where the tags are, you can click on 'homebirth' for all of them.
https://theazkahles.blogspot.com