| Riverside Midwifery 734.646.2674 |
Frequently Asked Questions
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Q. The fee for home birth midwifery care seems expensive. Can you explain the cost?
A. When compared to the cost of a normal, vaginal hospital birth (between
$8,000-$13,000), a home birth is only a small fraction of that ($2000-$3000) and is
really inexpensive for the care received. Here's a rough estimate of time spent with a
client:
12-14 hours/prenatal visits
6-48 hours/ labor and birth
3-4 hours/ immediate postpartum
4-6 hours/ 4 individual postpartum visits
Add to that the on-call status of the midwife and assistants, accepting phone calls 24/7,
and the cost of driving to client's homes.
A. When compared to the cost of a normal, vaginal hospital birth (between
$8,000-$13,000), a home birth is only a small fraction of that ($2000-$3000) and is
really inexpensive for the care received. Here's a rough estimate of time spent with a
client:
12-14 hours/prenatal visits
6-48 hours/ labor and birth
3-4 hours/ immediate postpartum
4-6 hours/ 4 individual postpartum visits
Add to that the on-call status of the midwife and assistants, accepting phone calls 24/7,
and the cost of driving to client's homes.
Q. Will my insurance company pay for a home birth with a Certified Professional
Midwife?
A. Maybe. Since a large majority of women have their babies in a traditional hospital
setting, most insurance companies don't know how to process the rare home birth
claim. If you call your insurance company with regards to midwifery care, most will tell
you they won't cover a home birth. However, I've seen many send reimbursement
checks anyway.
What seems to work best is to submit a claim after 6 weeks postpartum for all services
received (all prenatal care, birth, and postpartum). This seems to have a higher chance
of reimbursement than submitting several claims throughout the pregnancy. Your
insurance company may reimburse none, some, or all of the fee. Some clients have
pursued their insurance company for explanation of refusal only to be rewarded with a
reimbursement check! Unfortunately, it's still very random.
Midwife?
A. Maybe. Since a large majority of women have their babies in a traditional hospital
setting, most insurance companies don't know how to process the rare home birth
claim. If you call your insurance company with regards to midwifery care, most will tell
you they won't cover a home birth. However, I've seen many send reimbursement
checks anyway.
What seems to work best is to submit a claim after 6 weeks postpartum for all services
received (all prenatal care, birth, and postpartum). This seems to have a higher chance
of reimbursement than submitting several claims throughout the pregnancy. Your
insurance company may reimburse none, some, or all of the fee. Some clients have
pursued their insurance company for explanation of refusal only to be rewarded with a
reimbursement check! Unfortunately, it's still very random.
Q. Having a baby seems like a messy affair! What do you do with the mess?
A. It's actually not very messy at all! To get a good idea of how it works, read this article
(which was written for The Birth Project, Issue II): Is Home Birth Messy?
A. It's actually not very messy at all! To get a good idea of how it works, read this article
(which was written for The Birth Project, Issue II): Is Home Birth Messy?
Q. I'm thinking of having my older daughter and mom at the birth. Do many women
invite people to their births?
A. One of the best things about having a home birth is being in control of your
environment. At Riverside Midwifery, it is up to you who you want to invite to your birth.
To learn more, click here.
invite people to their births?
A. One of the best things about having a home birth is being in control of your
environment. At Riverside Midwifery, it is up to you who you want to invite to your birth.
To learn more, click here.
Q. I know I can't have any pain relief medication at home. How will you help me cope
during labor and birth? What happens if I decide I want an epidural?
A. Because we practice midwifery and not medicine, we can not offer you pain relief
medication. With a little self-education, childbirth preparation, and supportive
encouragement, most women do well during labor and birth at home.
All of us at Riverside Midwifery were first trained as doulas before doing any other birth
work. We have years of experience supporting women in labor, offering words of
encouragement, physical support, massage, and position changes. Keeping mom and
baby healthy and comfortable is our primary concern.
If for whatever reason, a client decides she wants pain relief at the hospital, we will
transfer care as soon as possible and resume our role as a doula in the hospital setting.
during labor and birth? What happens if I decide I want an epidural?
A. Because we practice midwifery and not medicine, we can not offer you pain relief
medication. With a little self-education, childbirth preparation, and supportive
encouragement, most women do well during labor and birth at home.
All of us at Riverside Midwifery were first trained as doulas before doing any other birth
work. We have years of experience supporting women in labor, offering words of
encouragement, physical support, massage, and position changes. Keeping mom and
baby healthy and comfortable is our primary concern.
If for whatever reason, a client decides she wants pain relief at the hospital, we will
transfer care as soon as possible and resume our role as a doula in the hospital setting.
| Riverside Midwifery Home Birth Services |