Homebirth General Discussion #1

[Tegam]

Hi Everyone,
I am 30yrs old and planning my first home birth in less than 10weeks. I have had to really positive hospital births but this time it just feels right to have this one at home. I am living in the Brisbane area and have found two private MW's that tag team each other and both should be at the birth. Its such a pity as we have only just moved from NSW where there was medicare funded home births now its going to cost me $3500. Lucky for the baby bonus

I think i have all the normal concerns/fears/hopes/excitment as most but am looking forward to talking with more people who are going on the same journey or have been there themselves.

Cheers Milly

[EJM]

Hi Milly, congratulations and good luck with your homebirth!

Mine is costing the exact same amount... I say its a good way to spend the baby bonus!

Hopefully I will be in labour soon! Any moment now!! Its kind of weird that all we do is call Sonya (midwife), and not worry about leaving our home to go to hosp!

[Freya]

Do you guys not have health insurance? Is $3500 what it costs when you dont or is that an excess?

Sorry for being nosy but I want to plan ahead so if we need a lump sum to pay then I better get saving.

[Smoke Jaguar]

A lot of midwives have a payment plan option - pay some now, pay some on the way, pay the rest after the birth.
Sometimes it works out better not to have insurance, I reckon! We have been paying a premium for about 4 years now and it's been such a waste. All the money we spent on premiums is more than I would have paid for an op I had, for the osteo treatments I've had, the dental we've had...and still would have paid for a homebirth if we had put that money towards one! We'll cut our losses (because HBA might be bringing in HB cover at the end of the year) and pay for it without insurance cover, because all that we'll pay in premiums until I fall pg again (DS is really being an efficient contraceptive with his BFing habits!), not to mention the out of pockets we'll face anyway, will come to about what we'd have to pay for a homebirth. I just don't care anymore, I want my HB and I'll pay for a good midwife of choice when the time comes, even if I have to take out some kind of loan until the Baby Bonus is paid (those installment payments will suck big time!).
I was talking to a friend of my SIL's who had a HB, over the weekend, and I've got even more of a hankering now! So, someone have a word in DS's ear to stop feeding overnight...

[Schmickers]

Some health insurers pay out small amounts towards home midwifery services, but as far as I am aware, none of them even approach covering the full cost.

DW charges $4000 for the full package - antenatal care and education, birth support at home or in hospital, and postnatal care. One of the midwives who was there when Molly was born in Sydney now charges $5000.

Welcome aboard, AnnaT - I think you've made a great decision.

[paradise lost]

Wow, i know you guys are envious that the NHS does homebirths for free in the UK, but if i HAD decided to get my own midwife to do my birth (and gotten the one-on-one care i'd have loved) it would have been about 3000-5000 GBP! A LOT more expensive! Also we don't get the baby bond or anything like it. Those on benefits get 250-500GBP for big baby items like pram/cot etc. but you have to be in reciept of a particular benefit to qualify. We qualified for both the benefit and the lump sum but because the department that processed the benefit took 6 months to look at our claim the window of opportunity closed and i didn't get a penny. I think the UK theory works better than the practice!

DP gets medical with his new job and we're secretly hoping they'll pay for a homebirth midwife. If they do i'd CERTAINLY get a private middie, though i'd go NHS again no worries before i paid out of pocket. There's a difference between someone who supports your wishes and someone who is paid to support your wishes...

Bx

[puffin]

AnnaT - I think you were in my due in group when I had my daughter Harriet in Sep 2006. I had to rejoin because i lost my password. I am planning a home birth this time too. Although I am going for midwife only care.