What happened to all the midwife recommendations?

[mrsfatty]

I'm expecting--yay--and I am thinking about a homebirth--so I come back to my "tribe" here (Twin Cities, MN) and suddenly I'm unable to search for a midwife recommendation. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

What happened to all the threads with the recommendations??? Who is a great midwife in the Twin Cities--especially one that interviews well for unsupportive/unsure/uncertain husbands???

HELP!

[sjbvl]

Congratulations! I'm not sure what happened to all the recommendations, but I'm happy to give you my input. I had a homebirth in April '08 with Dr. Amy Johnson-Grass, she's a naturopath/midwife. We loved her, and I think she would interview very well with husbands that need reassurance. Her website is www.dramyjohnsongrass.com

I've run into several other women who have used her and all agree, she's really great.

On another note, if your hubby wants another hubby to talk to mine would probably be willing.

I did research midwives and talked to several via phone and interviewed a couple in person; trying to find the right "fit."

Good luck!

[guestmama9904]

http://www.minnesotabirthnetwork.com...eresource.html

is a great resource for homebirth midwives in MN. I am seeing Kim and Kathy of Dearborn Midwifery in Edina and am happy with them. I also interviewed Rolla whom 3 of my friends have had a total of 6 babies and they all loved her. I called about 6 midwives and interviewed 4 of them before DH and I both decided on Kim and Kathy.

[mtullius]

The midwife group at St. Joe's runs a "meet the midwife" night periodically. Worth checking out, either for specific midwife recs (though if you're delivering at St. Joe's, you get whoever's on call) or for general reassurance about midwives....

But all the midwives at St. Joe's are pretty darned good-- we met several during my wife's 48-hour labor, and we went to Rebeca Barroso (whom we love) for the prenatal care.

[mtullius]

Sorry

Sorry, just realized you're looking for a homebirth mw....

[AmyMN]

My website has homebirth MW referrals:
http://mamaresource.com/homebirth

(please add yours if you haven't already)

[Yuki]

Wow, Dr. Amy Johnson-Grass sounds interesting! Can anyone share how much she charges? And whether she can bill your insurance?

[guestmama9904]

i think DR. amy is due to deliver her own baby momentarily so i am not sure if she is taking patients, when i called her some months ago she was not taking patients due around nov/dec like me. she is not an MD so insurance billing is the same tossup situation as with any lay-midwife or licenced home birth midwife, she isn't a CNM or anything so it will depend on your insurance whether they will cover any or all of the charges, my midwives said that less then 50% of their clients get some of their care covered but they don't even bill until 6 weeks postpartum when their care for you ends so you still have to pay upfront and cross your fingers. i called amy and she was charging the same as a lot of the other homebirth midwives in the twin cities, 3000$ all inclusive fee. this is what rolla said she charged and jeannie bazille and ally.

[sjbvl]

Dr Amy is expecting (late nov/early dec); not sure how much time she's taking off, so depending on when you are due .....
I was able to get coverage at 90% for my homebirth with her (Apr 08). I have Definity health insurance (it's a United Health Group company). I had to make a couple phone calls, basically to get the coverage up to 90%, they were at first covering at 60% (she's out of network) and then at 80% (in network, but not at maternity care level), but no real struggle with them. She did work with me to bill earlier than 6 wks postpartum, so that I could adjust my flex spending account for anything that wasn't going to be covered (I had 6 weeks post birth to do that, so needed to know what the ins co was going to do). I think her fee was consistent with what others in the area are charging. (We did pay her in advance and she refunded us as soon as she received our ins payments.)

[Yuki]

Thanks for the Dr Amy info. I used Rolla, 7 years ago....and back then she was the bargain. $1000 for everything! Even 7 yrs ago I thought that was high. Compared to homebirth I had in '97.... which was $400 for everything!

[guestmama9904]

Originally Posted by Yuki

Thanks for the Dr Amy info. I used Rolla, 7 years ago....and back then she was the bargain. $1000 for everything! Even 7 yrs ago I thought that was high. Compared to homebirth I had in '97.... which was $400 for everything!

I interviewed Rolla and she says she now charges 3000$ per birth, though she is slightly flexible if you cannot afford the full cost. my mom paid 400$ for my birth in 1981, costs have definitly risen.