How much did/will your homebirth cost? - Page 3

[calpurnia]

I live in the UK and all birth choices are free.

[applejuice]

Baby #1 $ 850.00 - 1980
Baby #2 1200.00 - 1983
Baby #3 1500.00 - 1985
Baby #4 2500.00 - 1992

All in Southern California; the first two with a homebirth doctor, the last two with his midwife.

If I went to a midwife today, an experience midwife, the cost would be $5000-6000.

The price includes all office visits and postpartum care.

The price excludes all lab tests, classes, and ultrasound scans.

[sbgquilt]

$3000 including all pre and post natal. I had to buy some supplies but they totally only about $100. So, I guess $3100. Insurance paid $2400. My insurance is Definity which is part of America's PPO/Araz.

[megpaw]

Our midwife charges $1850, which includes all prenatal and postnatal visits and the birth itself. I'm not sure yet if insurance will cover any of it, but considering that what we pay the midwife will be far less than what our contibution to a hospital birth would be, I think it is well worth it!

[cottonwood]

Mine were both $1500, first time insurance paid, second time out-of-pocket. This was in 1997 and 1999, and the midwives didn't have much over-head (working out of their homes) and I didn't do any lab or medical stuff aside from what was done at the hospital before I transferred care. At the time I thought it was a lot of money (well, still do,) but I've come to feel that it's actually on the low end of what's reasonable to charge for the services provided. When I started thinking about what it would be worth to me to charge someone for the amount of time and resources and training and energy it would take out of me -- well, it would be quite a bit more than that.

[2+twins]

Originally Posted by fourlittlebirds

When I started thinking about what it would be worth to me to charge someone for the amount of time and resources and training and energy it would take out of me -- well, it would be quite a bit more than that.

ITA - when you think about it that way, mw's really don't make what they're worth. The 24/7 life alone is worth a lot IMO. I've done it and it isn't fun. But it's hard when you have to pay out-of-pocket like I did. {{{sigh}}}

[asianmama]

In Ontario, Canada, it's "free" whether you choose to give birth under a doctor's care or midwife's care. You have to pay for / provide your own birth supplies though, if you give birth at home (e.g. hydrogen peroxide, olive oil, food and drink, bins for the placenta and vomiting, etc). The government covers the expense for prenatal and birth care (and medical care in general), so I guess that's one of the reasons why our taxes are so high.