$ being the deciding factor in having a homebirth

[Eman'smom]

I realize my situation is probably backwards, but here goes. We had ds in a hospital, not bad, had planned on having this one there too. We both had thought about the idea of homebirth but we live in a small apartment, and more importantly live 80 miles from the hospital.

Anyway lately I've been more and more nervous about going to the hospital. I've been having fantasies about "going to quickly" so we'd end up with an unnassited just the two of us.

Now I find out that next week (July 1) when all my insurance increases go through my out of pocket for a hospital birth will be 500 dollars I've just been thinking about all the great stuff I could do with that kind of money, 6 months of car insurance over 2 months of car payments, 1 month of health insurance while I'm on maternity leave, a cool breast pump and all the supplies for when I go back to work, a lifetime of "premium" cloth diapers, the list goes on.

Oh and I forgot to say homebirth is covered 100%. I fell odd saying we decided on homebirth to save 500 dollars, but on the other since I was already thinking about it. But then what about the slim chance of something going wrong.......

I guess I just need to do some more thinking.

[cottonwood]

Homebirth is covered 100%? Wow! That is some pretty nifty insurance you have there.

So, it sounds like the main obstacle for you is the 80 miles? Does that mean 80 miles from *any* hospital or emergency medical care? If there is nothing, I understand your hesitation!

[sugarmoon]

Thats so funny. I read the title and was sure this would be about choosing hosp. birth b/c homebirth *isn't* covered by Ins.

How close are you to the midwife? Would you be better off/just as safe with a midwife who could come to you right away, rather than driving 80 miles while in labor?

[Eman'smom]

There is a local hospital, however I don't feel confident in the care there to have a normal birth there (hense the reason we are going to the "city" to give birth) so I really wouldn't want to go there for an emergency.

The midwife is also as far away as the hospital.

I'm not really sure what is better, our doula wants us to read up on emergency birth (ds was only 3 hours once active labor kicked in ). I don't want to drive that far, but the midwife might not make it here either.

We could get to the hospital in just over an hour (normal driving, less for an emergency).

Dh also has really cold feet about the distance to a trusted care facility, I do to, but I just keep thinking all the "perks" of a hospital we want to avoid and ds was born complication free.

I meet with the midwife next week, I'll take to her a bit more about it too.

[feebeeglee]

I had my last 2 kids at home and cost was a major factor. We had health insurance but no maternity coverage : so paying a lay midwife was waaaayyyy cheaper than paying an OB and the hosp.

I did homebirth for all the standard reasons as well tho... DD#1 was born in hosp with a great OB and a doula; overall the experience was uneventful, but my homebirths were eventful in a great way.

[applejuice]

Glad to hear that homebirth so so mainstream in your area of the world that insurance will cover it 100%.

Progress has been slow but steady.

I remember when my mom had us at home in the nifty 50's.

I remember when I had my first in 1980 - maternity leave was just being invented and tested legally in some places and maternity insurance was nonexistant - the insurance company said to me:

"We do not cover it because it is not caused by an accident."

[Eman'smom]

We are all over the place, we are currently thinking we are going to go for the homebirth, not just about the money, I always wanted an intervention free birth, and newborn period. So it just seems like homebirth is the way to go. I keep looking for the "perfect" reason for it, but maybe I've had it all along.

[craZmama]

Go for it You sound pretty confident about it. Just make sure you have someone to help you around the house for the first two days at least.