How much did your homebirth cost and what was included?

[Jennifer13]

* What state you are in?
NSW

* When you had your homebirth?
January 2012

* How many midwives and their cost (each)
One midwife as primary care provider, plus second midwife as back up $5,000 in full, ($500 extra than normal for all home visits prenatally). Got $3,000 back from PHI

* What was included?
Prenatal care, birth, postnatal care. Paid for own meds, birth pool (borrowed, but bought liner), oxygen tank, but these were all minimal cost. Lots of books to borrow, including children's books for DD1

* How many pre & post natal visits and their duration?
Prenatal monthly, then bimonthly from 30 weeks (I think), then weekly from 36 weeks. Each appt was an hour or more. We often had lunch! All visits were in my home, so no waiting around.

Birth midwives stayed for hours after birth and cleaned up. They left when we went to bed.
Postnatal daily visits for almost a week, plus more until six weeks. That was a sad one!

* Were they in your home or in an office?
All in my home

* Was it worth the cost?
Worth every cent. And then some!

* Other things you found great to be included that you wouldn't have gotten with another form of medical carer.
My midwife is also a naturopath, which was useful. An ongoing support group with the other families (mostly mums) who had used the services of my midwife's group midwifery. Mostly homebirthers. Monthly meet ups on pertinent topics with an instinctive, natural approach to birth, breastfeeding, parenting, etc. Plus, ongoing contact with both of my midwives and being able to celebrate their births as well! Very much a community feel. Love, love, love!