| Author |
Message |
    
Oakland
Citizen
Username: Oakland
Post Number: 40
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 14, 2006 - 7:42 pm: | 
|
Anyone choose the route of home birth? If so, were you pleased with your experience? What professionals assisted you at home? Would you use them again? What, if anything, did insurance pay for? How much did you pay total for the at home experience? Would you do it again? |
mogli
Citizen
Username: Mogli
Post Number: 35
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 11:06 pm: |
|
Three births at home in six years, all perfect in every conceivable way. Judy Hagen is the Certified Nurse Midwife who acted as primary care provider for all three, and we'd use her again and recommend her services wholeheartedly. http://www.babycatcher.com/
For #1, we hired a doula, who helped quite a bit. For the next births we did not feel that we needed the services of a doula. Not our doula, but in Maplewood and on this board is Doulamomma, who my wife suggests you contact.
For 1 and 2, insurance (via United Health Care) covered this as out-of-network @80% with no questions asked. This time around my company's plan changed shortly before the birth. Coverage should be 75%, but I still have some legwork to do before the check comes. Most (if not all) home birth midwifes will be out of network and probably expect to be paid up front. We paid in a couple of installments that were completed by Week 36.
Out of pocket cost for the midwife's services was about $900. The doula was not covered by insurance, nor was the portable birthing tub we rented for #1 for $240.
Yes, we'd do it again.
|
Lydia
Supporter
Username: Lydial
Post Number: 1781
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 9:55 pm: |
|
Mogli -
congrats on the 3 babies!
I had my first baby in a free-standing birthing center. I planned to home-birth the second baby but we lived in an apartment with paper-thin walls and I didn't want to feel like I had to be quiet, so we did the birthing center again - which was great.
After your baby is born, the midwives check the things that need to be checked, (heartrate, reflexes) but your baby stays on your stomach or in your arms and you can fall asleep together - usually with the baby nursing while the midwives quietly clean up with dim lights.
If you haven't read it yet, I recommend the book, "Birth Reborn" by Micheal Odent. While Odent isn't specifically writing about home births, his natural and gentle theories about birthing and preparing for birth were so clear. logical and truly inspirational.
I have to say I loved giving birth, and I think the venue I chose had a lot to do with my happy memories of the experience.
Good luck!
|
doulamomma
Citizen
Username: Doulamomma
Post Number: 1361
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 2:52 pm: |
|
Oakland,
I sent you a private line... |
calypso
Citizen
Username: Calypso
Post Number: 14
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 8:58 pm: |
|
I don't think there are any freestanding birth centers in NJ anymore. There used to be one in Teaneck, but due to insurance problems the midwives there now have a strictly hospital-based practice. |
|
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page