Re: How much did your homebirth cost and what was included?
* What state you are in - Victoria
* When you had your homebirth - baby is due in a few weeks
* How many midwives and their cost (each) my lead midwife charges $4,500 for a complete package, which includes the fee for the second midwife (she works with a second for all HB, and I had a choice of a few middies for my second!)
* What was included - birth pool (La Blassine), all pre-natal and post-natal care, breastfeeding support (she's a IBCLC), lots of reading materials, full birth support including in-hospital if I had to transfer (she is one of the only MW who is allowed to be in as your MW at the Royal Women's which is briiiiilliant!)
* How many pre & post natal visits and their duration - at the start, appointments were monthly, for between an hour - 2 hours each time. Very thorough, lots of chatting, normally with my husband there too. From about 24 weeks, she came fortnightly, for about an hour at a time, again, very thorough, never felt rushed. Sometimes she came more often if she had to rush an appointment for any reason. From our birthplan meeting (with both MW, husband and doula), she comes weekly - so from around 35 weeks. The last month of appointments are with BOTH mws.
* Were they in your home or in an office? All visits in our home, so fantastic! If she ever has to cancel (cos she's at a birth) it is no big deal cos I'm just at home! No waiting around in an office!
* Was it worth the cost? Heck yes! I would happily pay double. You can't put a price on this care in our opinion! Even super-stingy DH thinks it's a bargain lol!
* Other things you found great to be included that you wouldn't have gotten with another form of medical carer. - haha lots of little things! A text message wishing me a happy mothers day from my baby... A late night visit to drop off some tubigrip cos my back was sore... A 3am call when I was 13 weeks to reassure me that my light fever was perfectly fine... Advice on braiding my own cord tie from embroidery thread...
Other costs: we have racked up
LOTS of other costs, however none are 'essentials' I guess...
- Rhea Dempsey's Birthing Wisdom course - $550
- Doula, including 3 pre-natal visits, entire birth, 2 post-natal visits, looooads of books and DVDs to borrow - $800
- internal work private session (Pink Kit) with another amazing midwife - $150
- Misc assorted supplies, such as drop sheets, buckets, hose etc - maybe $200 all up?
- we had a few U/S for a medical condition early on, and a CVS, all up cost around $1,200 out of pocket I think - these costs would have applied for home or hospy birth.
So all up I think this pregnancy and birth is costing around $6000 or so, plus $1200 medical expenses. Worth every cent.
* What state you are in
Vic but my birth was in QLD
* When you had your homebirth
June 2006
* How many midwives and their cost (each)
1 $3500
* What was included
prenatal appointments from 32 weeks (when we decided to have a hb, but it would have included all), lots of visits between 40 and 43w+5 when i delivered, to check on bubs wellbeing etc, attendance at birth, a few hours after the birth, all postnatal appointments, help with breastfeeding, always just a phone call away
* How many pre & post natal visits and their duration
maybe 12 prenatal and 5 or 6 postnatal prenatal appointments usually lasted around the 1-2 hour mark and prenatal appointments varied between 20 mins-2 hrs depending on my needs
* Were they in your home or in an office?
most prenatal appointments in her home, until 38 weeks or so and then my home, all postnatal appointments in my home apart from 6 week one.
* Was it worth the cost?
Absolutely!! not sure if I could afford it again though.
* Other things you found great to be included that you wouldn't have gotten with another form of medical carer.
the fact that i carried til 43w +5d, always a familiar voice on the other end of the phone who actually knew you and knew your situation, a lack of panic when things didn't go quite as smoothly as they could have, a friend, a laugh while in labour, my partner and mum involved in appointments and birth, someone who took teh time to help me breastfeed, natural advice when i started having mild contractions at 34 weeks, someone who believed in me and actually seemed excited to be supporting me during MY birth (as a pose to the idea of them being the ones "delivering the baby" etc)
* What state you are in
Victoria (Melbourne)
* When you had your homebirth
November 2010
* How many midwives and their cost (each)
2 midwives
Pre and Post-natal appointments at $110 each. I had 10 pre-natal visits= $1100 and 6 post-natal= $660
On-call and birth attendence fees were $1500 per MW
Total= $4700
I also hired a birth pool for $198.
* What was included
Long consultations, excellent, personalised advice and further health recommendations (chiro etc), pregnancy monitoring, all birth equipment on hand, lactation advice & support.
* How many pre & post natal visits and their duration
I could choose how many appointments I wanted. I asked for a recommended schedule of visits and varied that a little to suit my needs.
10 pre-natal visits and 6 post-natal visits.
I paid for "1 hour" but they were usually around 2 hours (a couple were less and some longer).
* Were they in your home or in an office?
In my home. I went to my MW's place once when she had car trouble and that was a cheaper appointment.
* Was it worth the cost?
Oh, hell yes!! The care was insanely better than I had at the FBC with my first son. These MWs *knew* things. They knew how I would heal and what would happen and it always was just as they said. Compared to MWs who didn't even give me a heads up on anything. They advised lots of alternative remedies such as homeopathics that I hadnt tried before and it all made for a much more amazing experience. They listened, took time, cared and empowered.
Re: How much did your homebirth cost and what was included?
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