New to homebirth...

[JennP]

Dh is getting on board but not excited.

I was really excited as I have had 2 hospital births and I am looking forward to a more private birth at home.

I went to my first MW appointment on tuesday and I was fine at the appointment but now I am a little leary about the homebirth and her process.
I think it is just so different from the D.O.'s office I don't know what to think. I know that homebirth is safe, even safer than the hospital, I have no desire to return to my previous provider or the hospital but I am a little scared emotionally.

Is this something I can work on, do I just talk to her? What should I do to better prepare myself? One fear is that I may need to transfer and then we would have to pay 100% of her fee vs. letting insurance pay for most, since they will be paying for the provider at the hospital.

I don't have fear about the birth itself but this is just all so new and I guess I never really thought of all the differences.

Jenn

[2+twins]

I think you should def. discuss any and all concerns with your mw. Part of the benefit of this whole homebirth-midwifery thing is the trust & intimacy of the relationship. You need to be confident that you're matched with the right provider for you. I know it can be hard to bring up concerns (I've struggled with this even after knowing my mw for years) but ultimately if you want things to go the way you envision you need to be able to openly discuss any and all scenarios that come to mind. If she then doesn't jive with you, you'll have plenty of time to look into other options. Better now than later, kwim?

Besides the financial aspect of a transfer possibility, what other concerns do you have right now? Oh, and I'd recommend just talking to her more about the likelihood of a transfer - how often does she have that happen & in what instances has/does it tend to happen?

[lilkat]

I agree with the PP: talk at length with your mw, and if you continue to feel uncomfortable with this particular mw, consider interviewing others. Sometimes personalities just don't match, and you should not feel bad about insisting on a mw who puts you at ease.

As for the cost in case of transfer, you should ask your mw what her rules are for refunds. I know my mw gives her clients 100% refund if they need to transfer care for any reason anytime up to 36w. After that, she does not give any refunds. I'm very close to 36w myself, but I feel like even if I ended up transferring later and not getting a refund, it still would have been worth it to get all the prenatal care I've gotten so far, plus she'd still act as my doula at the hospital and provide postpartum care. Just ask your mw what her guidelines are.

Good luck!