If you’re considering a home birth, you are surely starting to wonder, “how much does home birth cost?” Or, you’re here wondering: “do home births cost less?” Let’s answer these questions, including, is home birth cheaper than hospital, is home birth covered by insurance, how much is a home birth, 10 ways to help you pay for your home birth, and so much more!
Should You Invest in Your Birth?
Firstly, when you pay for a home birth, you’re actually paying for a lot more than just the birth.
But, let’s also consider how much money many people spend on other important life events.
For example, how much money did you spend on your education?
If you have a bachelor’s degree in the U.S., this is usually anywhere from about $30,000-$50,000+. If you have a master’s degree, this could be around $68,000+.
Now, how much money did you put down on your house?
Usually, this is at least around $17,000.
How much money did you spend on the car(s) you wanted?
Or vacations?
We commonly spend thousands of dollars on worthy personal and family investments. But, does birth get to fall into that category?
Most people in today’s society seem to say no, because it’s not the social norm.
The Benefits of Investing in Your Birth
What most people don’t see that midwives and doulas do, is that investing in a midwife is not only paying for the home birth.
It’s paying for 60-90 minute appointments compared to the average 5-7 minute appointments with an OB or midwife in the hospital setting.
With this care, you get nutrition, lifestyle, prenatal, childbirth, newborn, and postpartum education and proper counseling.
It’s also paying for that skilled health professional that you interviewed, hired, and bonded with for your pregnancy to actually be there at your birth. And not just at the end! The entire time they’re needed.
Furthermore, you get 6 in-home postpartum visits and sometimes 6 more in-office visits if you want or need them!
With all of this, many midwives and doula professionals understand that if women invested in their births and perinatal care, many women who have had cesareans or traumatic inductions (which often affect their entire relationship with their baby and emergence into motherhood), often could have been avoided through the true midwifery model of care.
We know so many of these things could have been avoided because of the differing induction and cesarean birth rates in home and hospital settings, with evidence that it’s not just because of a difference in the clients/patients being low or high-risk. Check out, Is Home Birth Safe? What Are the Pros and Cons?
The Truth About a Cost-Free Birth
Many people will say, “oh, I had a $40,000 wedding” and everyone responds “of course, that’s how much a wedding costs.”
Then other people might say they spent $3,500-$5,000 on extensive maternity care with midwives who are skilled in nutrition, lifestyle, immediate newborn care, testing, and keeping your birth safe, and many people will think that’s crazy and too much money.
Maybe, because for some people, it could have been free with insurance?
But would you have wanted your wedding to have been controlled by someone else if you don’t get to make any decisions on what colors, flowers, or wedding dress you wear?
Could you imagine having a free wedding where someone else is making all of the decisions for you?
If this was the case, it wouldn’t be or feel like your wedding at all, right?
Well, this is the same exact thing in birth. But for a wedding, nobody would ever agree to that.
Cost is one of the greatest barriers to midwifery care, but it’s not that the majority of people cannot figure out how to pay for it.
We know because of wedding and education costs. The majority of people who consider it a barrier are simply not willing to invest in it.
(And, of course, there are also people who truly cannot pay for it and this is a very real issue to have in countries like the U.S.)
The Cons of Not Investing in Your Care and Birth
Not investing in your maternity care and birth in the U.S. and many other high-income countries at this point, certainly, has negative effects on many women’s health outcomes.
When you don’t invest in your maternity care and birth, many will continue lacking:
- Nutrition and lifestyle education, which is preventative health care that needs to be prioritized as 84% of pregnancy-related deaths are deemed to be preventable [1].
- Childbirth education
- An empowering and safe birth – Keep in mind that the vast majority of pregnancy and births can be healthy and safe if the mother is healthy and continues supporting her body.
- Adequate postpartum care, which is so important as 52% of maternal mortality happens in the postpartum period [2]. But the hospital system still only has one 6-week postpartum appointment because that is all that insurance covers. Additionally, without a home birth midwife, mothers in the U.S. are driving and leaving the house every few days to take the baby to the pediatrician.
- Birth satisfaction, which continues our trends of increasing birth trauma which heavily impact the bonding you have with your baby, the love and connection, postpartum depression, anxiety, and other maternal mental health disorders. Studies show that hospital birth trauma rates in the U.S. are up to 45% [3].
It’s very important to assess the value of your care, your experience, the connection, and the lifelong memories of your pregnancy and birth.
Consider taking control and reassessing the financial value of your health care and birth experience outside of the societal norms.
Do Home Births Cost Less?
The average cost of home birth across the U.S. is $5,000.
And the average cost of home birth in Michigan (where I live), is $4,000.
This includes all prenatal visits, counseling, birth (whether it’s 2 hours or 2 days), typically 6 home postpartum visits, and sometimes 6 more that are in office if you want or need.
Any extra costs might come in for blood work, ultrasound, and a blow up labor tub, if you don’t have insurance or if yours doesn’t cover these things.
These things usually add up to a few hundred dollars extra if they are not covered. So, not a ton in comparison to things for your wedding, education, or vacations.
For a woman who cares about her health and participating in learning and supporting her mind and body in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, your dollar goes so much further by investing in the true midwifery model of care.
How Much Does Childbirth in the Hospital Cost?
The average out of pocket costs for a hospital birth in Michigan from 2016: (These costs do not reflect prenatal or postpartum care).
- Vaginal birth with insurance: $5,978.05
- Vaginal birth without insurance: $10,957.85
- C-section with insurance: $8,443.70
- C-section without insurance: $14,530.95
(33% (1 in 3) of women will have a cesarean in the U.S. hospital system. With a home birth midwife, this rate drops to 4-6%)
Unfortunately, many people don’t realize the stark difference between home birth midwifery and a hospital birth until they experience it.
This is another huge benefit of raising of children in a space where they see birth, you caring for your health in pregnancy, they are welcome and loved in appointments and the birth experience, and they see breastfeeding.
These children, wont have to experience it for themselves to demand the best care. They will see what hospital birth offers, the outcomes in research, and will not choose it unless it is necessary.
Which is simply, the way the medical-industrial complex is meant to be used anyways.
Is Home Birth Covered By Insurance?
Some midwives do take insurance. Some even take Medicaid!
If they don’t, it might not be because they don’t want to.
Different states currently have different insurance capacities when it comes to home birth. But, definitely ask your local midwives to check!
10 Ways To Help You Pay for a Home Birth
Here are 10 strategies that might make your home birth more affordable!
1. Plan Ahead
Just like when you’re planning for a vacation, care, wedding, or a house; plan ahead!
2. Medical Shares
Medical shares are programs where large groups of people pool their money together to pay their medical bills.
It’s basically an attempt to create universal healthcare in countries that don’t have that system.
3. Ask the midwife about discounts
Some midwives provide discounts if you pay in full early, or pay in cash.
Additionally, some midwives have sliding scales, so you can talk to them about that!
However, some situations I would advise against asking for a discount include:
- If you came into care late, and you think that it will be less work for the midwife
- If this is your 5th home birth
- Just because you want to get your bill reduced. Midwives need to make a living from this career to live, so asking for a discount without a need for it is only harming the passionate midwife.
4. ask about payment plans
Many midwives provide monthly payment plans to break up the bill into smaller payments.
5. ask about bartering
If you have a service the midwife needs, you could ask about providing the service in exchange for a discount of their care!
6. Sacrifice in your monthly budget
Of course, this isn’t one of the favorite options. But, things like not going out to dinner every week, paying for multiple streaming services, or other fees that are reasonable to cut back on, may be needed and worth it!
7. Sell things or take odd jobs and gigs
Some odd jobs or gigs you might consider include:
- Babysitting
- Dog walking
- Selling eggs if you have chickens
- Selling things you make on Etsy like stickers, herbs, soaps or candles
- And many more!
8. Register for home birth cost instead of baby items
If you’re having a baby shower, ask for people to donate to your home birth cost and minimize the extra baby items that are unnecessary.
9. Health savings accounts
If your employer or your husband’s employer has a health savings account, many midwives can take those cards as payment
10. Take out a medical or personal loan
I know none of us like the idea of debt, but people have done it to pay for their midwife and home birth and find the value to be worth it.
Keeping in mind, people often take out loans for homes, cars, and even vacations!
I really hope this list helps you brainstorm ideas that work for you and your family to continue prioritizing your health and care during pregnancy and beyond!
Questions or Comments on “How Much Does Home Birth Cost?”
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below👇🏻
Talk soon, mama!
– Katelyn Lauren
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References:
[1] Four in 5 pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable
[3] Beck, C. T., Watson, S., & Gable, R. K. (2018). Traumatic Childbirth and Its Aftermath: Is There Anything Positive?. The Journal of perinatal education, 27(3), 175–184. https://doi.org/10.1891/1058-1243.27.3.175
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DISCLAIMER: This post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding you or your baby’s health. Please read my Medical Disclaimer for more info
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