[purplemamaturtle5]

My name is Kellie and heres the deal. I live in NC...(fuquay-varina to be more exact) and I have had one birth so far. It was in a hospital and I really didnt like my experience with my doctors or the birth for that matter. I also had an epidural. I figured that next time around (i'm not pregnant again..yet!) I would like to have a natural birth and preferably a home birth. Heres the thing...I dont have insurance. I had pregnancy medicaid last time and it took care of everything. Does any one know if pregnancy medicaid in NC covers homebirths/midwife costs? Or what midwifes except medicaid. I really dont know anything about how any of this whole "homebirth"/"midwife" thing works. I just know that I really dont want the experience I had last time. I feel that because I was a medicaid patient I didnt get the care that other women with "real' insurance get. I just really need some good info here!! Thanks to all!!

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[Luv2bemommy]

Pregnancy medicaid will not cover home births.. You will have to pay out of pocket if you want a home birth. Sadly until laws change home birth midwives (other then the one CNM that does home births) can't take any insurance.

 

[jennert]

pregnancy medicaid will cover prenatal care with a CNM or OB. if they do homebirths, there will be an extra charge for a homebirth that you will be expected to pay out of pocket. i've got pregnancy medicaid in NC and i'm getting prenatal care with an OB who does homebirths. there will be $500 out of pocket charge. he's flexible with payment plans, which is a really good thing since my husband's hours got cut back at work! i did some research since there are several CNMs and OBs in my area who do homebirths and the extra fees were usually $500-$1000 out of pocket, usually not including supplies. i'm not sure what is available in your area, but if you want a homebirth, expect to pay something out of pocket. i'd start saving now!

FWIW, my OB said he gets patients from charlotte and atlanta who want to birth with him. not quite sure how that works, but as you research, you may want to widen your circle to find the kind of care you're looking for.

 

[Gunter]

your homebirth midwife will work with you to come up with a payment plan if it's too expensive to pay without insurance.

in nc, insurance did cover my homebirth with a CPM. i paid the $500 deductible. they covered the rest, which was about $1800, 3 years ago.

trust me though, if you want a homebirth with a CNM or CPM, finances will not stand in your way. it will happen.

 

[purplemamaturtle5]

Thanks for the info mama's!! Keep it coming if you have more advice!!

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[Sarakenobi]

I have pregnancy medicaid. it will cover roughly $900. my midwife charges $1500, whic isn't a bad deal. . with health insurance last time (i had a very special hospital birth LOL) it was about $2500

 

[Luv2bemommy]

Wow, I never heard of a OB doing home births.. That's a new one!!

I hope you can find a midwife that will help.. I know when I was searching it was really hard and still 1800-2000.00 was a lot for us so I am planning a UC because of it.. I am how ever seeing a CNM in a practice that is amazing and knows of my plans on uc'ing. I couldn't find anyone cheaper that would do a home birth.. Honestly though I don't blame them, they are worth well more then that IMO!!!

 

[purplemamaturtle5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarakenobi I have pregnancy medicaid. it will cover roughly $900. my midwife charges $1500, whic isn't a bad deal. . with health insurance last time (i had a very special hospital birth LOL) it was about $2500

where in nc do you live?

 

[birthdancedoula]

The homebirth CNM accepts Medicaid.

I completely agree w/ my bud gunter above...if you really want it bad enough nothing can stand in your way!

 

[Sarakenobi]

Mebane -- not close enough for you. I don't think my midwife does FV

and I think she's raised her rates? but not by a lot.

I do think you are righ t-- I'm getting treated so badly by my OBGYNs and I think it has everything to do wtih being on medicaid. I have gestational diabetes and I know I know more than half of my doctors (wow that sounds awful!) but I'm educated and they treat me like I'm cheating and eating mcdonalds. i was drinking RRL tea the other day and the OB asked me if I was drinking it with sugar.

I've had to fight so hard this pregnancy to get the care I deserve. and overall I'm very pleased. my HB midwife is fantastic and I feel that one of the midwives in the OB practice really has cared for my situation and she is fighting for me just as hard. but the OBs... *sigh*

it is hard work. I swear that my pregnancy is a full time job. all the research, appointments and regulating my blood sugar I feel like I hardly have time for anything else.

i don't know how we are going to come up with the extra money to pay our midwife. I have about 6 weeks to come up with $900.

 

[purplemamaturtle5]

Yeah, times are hard...thats for sure. See...when I was pregnant (I will try to not turn this into a novel...) In about my 5th month...I had one night what I thought was terrible heartburn....I couldnt breath or even stand up straight. I was scared....so I told my OB and they said the same thing..."oh its just heartburn" well, these "heartburn attacks" as I called them kept coming.....closer together and more and more frequent...it was HORRIBLE. My OB's didnt know what it was other that "heartburn". So I just kept waiting until I had my baby for it to be done with. (mind you these "heartburn attacks" became so severe...they would last up to 24 hours without being able to breath or move and the only way to get rid of the pain *sometimes* was to induce vomiting). So after I had my child I thought the pains would disapear...They didnt. My mom had talked to her family doctor briefly about what I was going throught and she said it sounded like gallstones...I did my research and well...after finding out that it was in fact gallstones I had and I was really having "gallbladder attacks" I had surgery to remove my gallbladder and now I'm good as new. It just felt like because I was a medicaid patient, My OB's didnt want to take the time to diagnose me with gallstones (which in fact commonly develope during pregnancy) Those A**holes!! I just want a totally different experience next time around and I think I have done enough research and feel confident enough that I could have a baby w/o pain medication or people telling me what to do and when to do it....ya know mama's??

 

[countrygirl28]

Have you though about using the birth center in Chapel Hill. From what I hear they have gotten really good reviews, and I do believe they accept Medicaid.

 

[Sarakenobi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by countrygirl28 Have you though about using the birth center in Chapel Hill. From what I hear they have gotten reall good reviews, and I do believe they accept Medicaid.

they do! but they are also selective on who they take i think bc they are overbooked so the SECOND you get a + preg test you need to call and set up an appointment!

 

[Luv2bemommy]

I agree with the birth center, they do accept medicaid. I had talked with the CNM that does home births but I know she still has a fee (I know it was over 1000 when I talked with her, don't remember the exact amount) that covers everything medicaid does not cover.

Trust me, I know how you feel. Our last baby we used a home birth midwife and we were able to pay. This pregnancy due to hard times we couldn't afford to pay someone that amount so I'm having to settle with a CNM in a practice (thankfully she understands me and used to be a home birth midwife in another state so supports my choices) and I'm having a UC.. Sometimes it's just how it goes. I hate money has to stand in our way of having the birth I want and it is like that for so many people I know. I pray one day the laws in NC changes.

 

[DaddyM]

Woohoo! NC people!

We birthed at home, paid out of pocket, and are praying to be rembursed by my insurace company. They said it was considedered out of network but should be covered. We used a midwife who is in near Garner. If you need info private msg me. =) Also my home birth story is posted.

 

[Gunter]

i just wanted to reaffirm my personal experience with the homebirth midwives in our area. finances will not stand in the way of them serving you if you really want to have a homebirth with one of them in attendance. if you are willing to take ownership of your pregnancy, labor and birth, they will work out a way for you to afford it. i can list examples from bartering to payment plans that i know various midwives has accepted in order to help women have the births they want at home. it never hurts to ask and express your commitments to having a great birth experience.

 

[NewMom09]

I am in the same situation, I just qualified for medicaid and have my heart set on a home birth although I'm not opposed to a birthing center. I truly just couldn't bear the thought of having our baby in a hospital where their only goal is to get you in, get the baby out, and send you home as soon as possible filled with as many drugs as they can get into you in such a short time.

We are located in Winston Salem,NC an are desperately searching for a midwife and/or doula. If anyone has any suggestions please private message me or email me. If it comes down to it I think we might be able to come up with any fees the are necessary to bring out little one into this world in the way that we desire. Nothing will stand in our way. Thank you in advance for any help you may be able to provide.

 

[BirthTender]

I will be taking Medicaid & my home is near Hickory.
Karen of BirthTender