Typically, midwives are a more economical choice for pregnancy since the cost for routine prenatal care visits is usually cheaper than with an OB-GYN and is even covered by Medicaid.
The Cost of a Home Birth for Leah
Out-of-hospital births — which includes those conducted at a birthing center or at home — are 68 percent less expensive than those in a hospital. They are the least expensive option for giving birth. Giving birth at home is great for a mother with a low-risk pregnancy.
How much does it cost? Generally the fee for service is between $4,000- 6,500 and usually includes prenatal care, attendance at the birth and postpartum care.
Birth center births and home births are typically less expensive than hospital births for a variety of reasons. 4 The first is that there are no high-risk procedures done, only low-risk mothers are given this option.
How do you want to deliver your baby? If you're low risk and leaning toward a water birth or hypnobirthing, an experienced midwife is who you'll want to look into. But regardless of risk, if you think you'd be more comfortable with a medical doctor providing your care, then an OB-GYN might be the best fit.
OVERALL: you can certainly still have all your newborn screenings after a homebirth, but it does take planning! You DO have to know what to ask for and where to go, unlike a hospital where they just take your baby and do it all for you.
Disadvantages of home births
In fact, somewhere between 23 and 37 percent of first-time moms attempting home birth end up transferring to a hospital, largely because the baby is unable to move through the birth canal. (Transfers for moms who've already given birth were much lower, up to 9 percent.)
Why do women choose planned home births? If you deliver at home, labor management might differ from what you experience in a hospital setting. During labor at home, your health care provider will periodically — rather than continuously — monitor your temperature, pulse, blood pressure and your baby's heart rate.
10 ways to pay for a home birth
A doula typically helps a woman prepare a birth plan. A birth doula remains with the mother during birth, offering relaxation and breathing technique support, as well as comforting services like massage, and assistance with labor positions; however, doulas are not medically trained, and cannot deliver babies.
A study published earlier this year in the journal Health Affairs found that for women with employer-based insurance, the average out-of-pocket cost of a vaginal birth increased from $2,910 in 2008 to $4,314 in 2015, with the cost of a C-section going from $3,364 to $5,161 during that same time period.
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