Natural Birth

Total fees for home birth?

I'm curious, for those lovely ladies who have had home births, how much was your total cost - from first to last appointment?

Thanks :)

Re: Total fees for home birth?

  • $2900 for everything including prenatals visits, the 36week home visit, birth, newborn care, post natal home visit and 6 week office visit. Plus being available 24/7 to answer any questions or concerns. Other non included costs were vitamins, herbs, out of office blood work and any ultrasounds I want to have done.

    It seems to vary by region more than individual practice. I'm in Georgia and its much cheaper here than for my friends in Colorado
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  • $4k (which reflects $500 discount for paying early). This doesn't include blood work, testing, or ultrasound. Tub rental would be extra if needed but we have a great tub already. I'll need to buy a homebirth supply kit for about $50, too.
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  • $4k (which reflects $500 discount for paying early). This doesn't include blood work, testing, or ultrasound. Tub rental would be extra if needed but we have a great tub already. I'll need to buy a homebirth supply kit for about $50, too.
    If you don't mind sharing, what state/region are you in?  I feel like, as PP said, prices really vary by state and regions.
  • Out of curiosity (I'm in NZ) is it much cheaper to birth at home than in a hospital?
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    Elizabeth 5yrs old Jane 3yrs old
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  • Out of curiosity (I'm in NZ) is it much cheaper to birth at home than in a hospital?
    It really depends on your insurance.  I'm a teacher so I have sort of low to average insurance so a hospital birth would be very expensive for me.  From an educated guess I think I would pay about 6-8k in the hospital and 2-3k at home.  The other option is a birth center, but for me that would be the same or possibly even more than a hospital :(
  • antoto said:
    Out of curiosity (I'm in NZ) is it much cheaper to birth at home than in a hospital?
    It really depends on your insurance.  I'm a teacher so I have sort of low to average insurance so a hospital birth would be very expensive for me.  From an educated guess I think I would pay about 6-8k in the hospital and 2-3k at home.  The other option is a birth center, but for me that would be the same or possibly even more than a hospital :(
    Cool thanks. Like I said, I was just curious. In NZ all maternity care is free, so it doesn't matter where you birth or what medical needs you or baby end up with.

    I think if you have a homebirth you pay a cost if you choose to hire a tub to labour in which seems to be around $100 USD
    image
    Elizabeth 5yrs old Jane 3yrs old
    image



  • antoto said:



    Out of curiosity (I'm in NZ) is it much cheaper to birth at home than in a hospital?

    It really depends on your insurance.  I'm a teacher so I have sort of low to average insurance so a hospital birth would be very expensive for me.  From an educated guess I think I would pay about 6-8k in the hospital and 2-3k at home.  The other option is a birth center, but for me that would be the same or possibly even more than a hospital :(

    Cool thanks. Like I said, I was just curious. In NZ all maternity care is free, so it doesn't matter where you birth or what medical needs you or baby end up with.

    I think if you have a homebirth you pay a cost if you choose to hire a tub to labour in which seems to be around $100 USD


    I know we are many miles apart, but I still wonder if you can feel my envy from there... lol
  • WDDCHWDDCH member
    edited March 2015
    I want to say my last was $2800. My brain is a little fuzzy but I don't believe it was over $3K. I did have to buy a homebirth kit from InHisHands but it wasn't too expensive. The most expensive thing in my kit was the birth pool liner.

    This time I won't be paying for anything except another homebirth kit. I have Christian Healthcare Ministries and they pay for homebirths in full. Unfortunately, like most insurance, it is considered a pre-existing condition so they only pay for current members. They're technically not "insurance" but they still have that in fine print. This is why we paid for our last homebirth out of pocket, because we became members after I found out I was pregnant.

    I live in the Midwest, if that helps.

    ETA: home birth kits are kits that include all the disposables needed for the birth which may include the birth tub liner, gloves, medical pads to catch all fluids, etc.
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  • WDDCH said:

    I want to say my last was $2800. My brain is a little fuzzy but I don't believe it was over $3K. I did have to buy a homebirth kit from InHisHands but it wasn't too expensive. The most expensive thing in my kit was the birth pool liner.

    This time I won't be paying for anything except another homebirth kit. I have Christian Healthcare Ministries and they pay for homebirths in full. Unfortunately, like most insurance, it is considered a pre-existing condition so they only pay for current members. They're technically not "insurance" but they still have that in fine print. This is why we paid for our last homebirth out of pocket, because we became members after I found out I was pregnant.

    I live in the Midwest, if that helps.

    ETA: home birth kits are kits that include all the disposables needed for the birth which may include the birth tub liner, gloves, medical pads to catch all fluids, etc.

    That is really very cool that you have that kind of resource!

    I so very much wish that mainstream insurance would cover home birth :(
  • antoto said:



    $4k (which reflects $500 discount for paying early). This doesn't include blood work, testing, or ultrasound. Tub rental would be extra if needed but we have a great tub already. I'll need to buy a homebirth supply kit for about $50, too.

    If you don't mind sharing, what state/region are you in?  I feel like, as PP said, prices really vary by state and regions.

    I live right outside of Washington, D.C.--so high COL area
  • Out of curiosity (I'm in NZ) is it much cheaper to birth at home than in a hospital?

    For me, it is more expensive OOP. If I used my insurance, I would pay $0. But, I would have no control over the OB at my birth because of how my insurance works. It likely would be someone I've never met. With DS1 we did this. I was in labor for three days, so I had 3 OBs (each on a 24 hour shift): two I knew and were supportive enough. The third was hostile and unprofessional and even with a doula  (that we paid $900 OOP for) it was a bad experience. 

    In terms costs without insurance, I think my bill just for delivery would've been $11k. I have no clue about the cost of the prenatal care on top of that.
  • antoto said:



    $4k (which reflects $500 discount for paying early). This doesn't include blood work, testing, or ultrasound. Tub rental would be extra if needed but we have a great tub already. I'll need to buy a homebirth supply kit for about $50, too.

    If you don't mind sharing, what state/region are you in?  I feel like, as PP said, prices really vary by state and regions.
    I live right outside of Washington, D.C.--so high COL area

    I'm in the Phoenix, AZ area 
  • I live in TN. I paid just under $4000. I only had one u/s and minimal lab work so it could have been more depending on if I wanted/needed to have more testing done. But what I paid includes everything even the birth kit.
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  • I'm in NYC; our cost is 5k for midwife and all well woman visits. Everything else (ultrasound, blood test, etc) is additional but covered by insurance.
  • We're in Houston, total cost was around $4.2 K (including the discount for paying early)
  • I'm in New England.  $3800 for everything (including tub).  My blood work was an additional $30, I think.  Birth kit and tub liner will run us about $80.  With my first the tub was an additional $200, now it is included in the price.  We paid completely out of pocket the first time around, which was totally fine.  This time insurance will cover 60% so that's just an added bonus. 


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  • I'm in New England.  $3800 for everything (including tub).  My blood work was an additional $30, I think.  Birth kit and tub liner will run us about $80.  With my first the tub was an additional $200, now it is included in the price.  We paid completely out of pocket the first time around, which was totally fine.  This time insurance will cover 60% so that's just an added bonus. 



    That is so amazing that your insurance will help pay!  My insurance wont at all :(  So I'm saving up as much HSA as humanly possible because I believe both my husband and I can both use our HSA towards a home birth.
  • antoto said:

    I'm in New England.  $3800 for everything (including tub).  My blood work was an additional $30, I think.  Birth kit and tub liner will run us about $80.  With my first the tub was an additional $200, now it is included in the price.  We paid completely out of pocket the first time around, which was totally fine.  This time insurance will cover 60% so that's just an added bonus. 



    That is so amazing that your insurance will help pay!  My insurance wont at all :(  So I'm saving up as much HSA as humanly possible because I believe both my husband and I can both use our HSA towards a home birth.
    Yes, we feel very fortunate that they will cover some!  The first time they denied payment on everything we submitted but we've had a change in our plan over the past three years so it was a bonus to find out that they were covering 60%! 
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  • Mine is costing 3500. My mw does sliding scale so it's income based. Insurance denied which is said since I could schedule a 25000 rcs......
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  • Mine will cost $3000, and this is after a $500 discount for paying in full prior to 36 weeks. This does not include the birth kit from In His Hands, labs, or any other testing that may be needed/wanted. I think with shipping, the birth kit will be about $100, the ultrasound was $240, and I've paid about $70 in labs. We do have an HSA, so we've been able to use it for some of our expenses. I have been very satisfied with my midwife situation. I have much better access to her than I would if I were to see a caregiver in an ob/gyn office.

    I live in central Virginia.
    Married 8/29/09
    MC: 9/14
    Goober #1 born: 8/17/15
    MC: 9/16
    Goober # 2 EDD: 6/27/17
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