By Mandy Schutt
Some women dream of a homebirth but when they realize that insurance won't cover all/some of the costs involved, stop considering it as a serious option. I urge every women to seek out the birth of her dreams, if that involves birthing at home, don't let insurance companies stand in your way!
This amazing art by: Richard Wilkinson
There are many things moms can do to make their home birth a reality despite tight finances. Here are some ideas to consider:
-contact several midwives and ask about payment plans
- inquire about fees they may offer on a sliding scale or part-trade options
-many midwives accept payment via credit card (though I am not an advocate of depbt, I do know some clever folks who have opened particular cards that offer 0% interest and just used the card for their births and then closed the account)
-some midwives accept government subsidized medical programs, like Medi-Cal in California
-check and double check that your insurance truly won’t cover homebirth, there are several insurance providers who cover a certain percentage of the costs
-keep in mind that home birth can be itemized on your taxes
-if you want a doula and a home birth but can’t afford both, contact a local doula or doula training agency/organization, most of the time there is a certifying doula who will do a low or no cost birth to gain more home birth experience (doulas love attending home births!)
-if you have hired a doula, she may be able to connect you to some midwives in your area that take lower cost births- search around your city's birth community and snoop around midwifery schools- don't be afraid to ask for help!
-check out the non-profit, Normalizing Homebirth; they are in the process of offering scholarships to women who cannot pay for a homebirth but would like one.
