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<p>Hi, I'm new to this pregnancy thing and wondering what kind of stuff I should be considering getting done, medically. I am very homebirth oriented and will want to work with a midwife for the delivery. But in the meantime, I have all kinds of questions, (like, is my multivitamin good enough since it has 800mg of folic acid? is it okay to take Tums if I get heartburn?) and I'd like to have someone to talk to.</p>
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<p>My health insurance is a PPO, and "midwives" is not a category of provider I can even look up, which doesn't bode so well. Money is tight, so I want to do as much on insurance as I can. But I also have the feeling that I'm going to want to see the MD as rarely as possible. I'm pretty doctor-shy and don't usually enjoy my visits to the western medical establishment.</p>
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<p>So can you folks give me your opinions, especially those of you who've been pregnant before? What are the important things to get done at the doctor's office, and what can be skipped or done by a midwife?</p>
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<p>Also, on the insurance topic, has anybody ever gotten care (pregnancy tests, blood tests, or what-have-you) done by a midwife and paid for by a PPO, at least at the out-of-network rate? Does insurance *have* to pay for midwife care at the out of network rate, or does it depend on if the midwife is a certified nurse-midwife?</p>
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<p>My health insurance is a PPO, and "midwives" is not a category of provider I can even look up, which doesn't bode so well. Money is tight, so I want to do as much on insurance as I can. But I also have the feeling that I'm going to want to see the MD as rarely as possible. I'm pretty doctor-shy and don't usually enjoy my visits to the western medical establishment.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So can you folks give me your opinions, especially those of you who've been pregnant before? What are the important things to get done at the doctor's office, and what can be skipped or done by a midwife?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Also, on the insurance topic, has anybody ever gotten care (pregnancy tests, blood tests, or what-have-you) done by a midwife and paid for by a PPO, at least at the out-of-network rate? Does insurance *have* to pay for midwife care at the out of network rate, or does it depend on if the midwife is a certified nurse-midwife?</p>
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