NJ: Homebirth Unassisted or Midwife that Accepts Medicaid.

[Akemi001]

Hi! I just found out this week that I'm pregnant. I'm seriously considering a homebirth and was hoping to get some help with information. I have Horizon NJ Health HMO through Medicaid and would like to get contact info. on a midwife who accepts my insurance for a homebirth in Jersey City, NJ. If I can't find a midwife that accepts medicaid, then I may consider an unassited homebirth. My question with this is how would I go about registering for a birth certificate, social security card and adding my new baby to medicaid if I don't have an MD or midwife present at my birth? I did find a pediatrician open to accepting my new baby as a patient a day or two after a homebirth for a newborn exam. But on the birth certificate registration form it asks for apgar scores 1 and 5 seconds?! Can these types of questions just be answered by my OB or the pediatrician after the baby is born when I schedule an appointment with either one? Can my hubby or I figure out the apgar score ourselves since we'll be the only ones present during an unassisted homebirth if we go through with it? I want to make sure I have all the avenues covered before I go ahead with any decisions. I don't want anything going wrong.

[njbeachgirl]

Hi Not sure about midwives in NJ who would take medicaid, but maybe you could look into some NY midwives as well? Since you are pretty close to NY and all.

As for the other stuff, check out the unassisted forum! They know all about the birth certificates and stuff!

Good luck!

[Akemi001]

Thx!

Thx! I will check it out.

[MommyMidwife]

APGARS are at 1 and 5 minutes and are pretty easy to assess.

You should be able to just contact your insurance company and find a medicaid homebirth provider.

If you go unassisted then you usually (in VA) just need a letter from a pastor or doctor that states that you were pregnant. You can file your own birth certificate by just going to the health dept and filling it out - it usually helps if you bring the baby and some "proof of pregnancy" letter.
jeni

[onlyAngil]

NAK

I am a local doula, (well in training) in JC Hights, AND just had a home birth 2 months ago. Lets see if I can help!

First, Medicaid in NJ, (I had Health Net so that I could see the Ciro I wasted too... but that is another story) will only pay up to half (if you are lucky), that about 3,000.oo. They will cover it 100% if "medically necessary"... Is this your 1st pregnancy? If not, what was your last one like? I have heard of people getting a fully paid hombirth for mental health reasons... I only wish I heard of this BEFORE the birth of DD :

Next, finding a midwife, NJ Medicaid DOES NOT HAVE MW who SPECIFICALLY so home birth in network. Try seeing if any of the MW's in network are willing do to a home birth and bill it to you HMO/ Medicaid. I was not able to find a MW who was willing do to this, but I know others who have been have too. The MW's might also have names a #'s for you. I used Leah Marinelli, [phone]. She was wonderful and very nice, lives about an hour away so that is not bad. I did have a really quick birth but she was still able to make it on time. Her AMW's was also very nice, I really can not decide who was more loving a supportive. She is also willing to try and work with Medicaid so that is a BIG PLUS! Who ever it is that you talk with ask them if they are willing to work on a sliding scale/ barter system.

Now lets talk about baby! and like... Personal I could not want to have a FULLY UC birth, I would at lest have a my hubby, or whoever there JIC, YKWIM? But anyway... that is just me feelings, though I do not know what you have in mind... If you had a midwife they would be able to file the for a birth certificate, social security card. As for Medicaid, you will need a PA1C form, you can call you Medicaid working and make sure that is the form. You can get that from any of the hospital, or well you should be able too, I got mine from HUMC. (One might think that they have them over @ 100 Newkirk, but nooooo. Social Services, is very un-home-birth-friendly... expect to take a lot of BS from them. : I am sorrie they just bug me!) Then you have to take (one might be able to fax it I am unsure) over to them. OR you will have to take the form to hospital. All this needs to be done within, I believe, two weeks of the birth. You can always call your case worker and make sure. If you are going through all this unassisted, then ask who ever you are seeing for prenatal care if they can fill out the form for you with in a few days of birth. You can still get the form from hospital so you can even fill it out and all they will need to do is sing that said baby is real, and they should be able to help you with the birth certificate, social security card as well. I know that my MW had a bit of a hard tome getting her hand on the birth certificate form. So if you need help with this, let me know and I will see if I can get my MW to get me, well you, one. As for the Apgar scores like PP said they are done 1 and 5 minutes after birth. The MW of OB normal dose them, a doula also should be able to do them, and personal I see no reason that you could not have your MW or OB teach you how to them, if not just look it up on line (though that would probably give you skin and bone). Even though the birth certificate asks for them they are not NEEDED to file for the birth certificate.

Lastly I wanted to let you know that I am looking for a birth to attend for my certification thought CBI; JIC you want a free close by doula.

I hope this helps.

Originally Posted by MommyMidwife

APGARS are at 1 and 5 minutes and are pretty easy to assess.

...

If you go unassisted then you usually (in VA) just need a letter from a pastor or doctor that states that you were pregnant. You can file your own birth certificate by just going to the health dept and filling it out - it usually helps if you bring the baby and some "proof of pregnancy" letter.
jeni

Pastor?