In recent years, there has been an increase in the desire of women to have their birth experience take place in the comfort and familiarity of home. A home birth can help to avoid many of the routine but unnecessary medical interventions that can accompany a birth in a hospital. A home birth may be less expensive that a hospital birth, as well.

Having a home birth is not for everyone. Moms-to-be who are more likely to have complications during childbirth, who have “high-risk” pregnancies, should give birth in a hospital. This includes:
- Women with a medical condition, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
- Women who have had a previous c-section or other uterine surgery.
- Women who experience any number of pregnancy complications, such as premature labor, preeclampsia, or a baby in the breech position at 37 weeks.
- Women who are carrying twins (or multiples).

Studies show that the average hospital birth ranges in cost from five to seven thousand dollars, depending on the staff and the location. An average home birth tends to cost less than two thousand dollars. A hospital birth requires a physician, whose fees range from $1500 to $3000. In addition, there is the cost of the anesthesiologist, hospital costs, cost of supplies and other fees. In contrast, the fees for a midwife, who typically assists in a home birth, range from about $1000 to $2000. The midwife’s cost generally includes prenatal care, childbirth classes, as well as birthing supplies.

How much home birth practitioners charge can vary considerably from place to place and from one caregiver to another. If you are considering a home birth, you should find out not only what the home birth will cost but also what additional costs you’d have to pay if you needed to be transferred to another provider or a hospital during pregnancy, labor, birth, or postpartum. Some insurance carriers cover home birth, but others don’t. If you have insurance through an HMO that doesn’t have an in-network provider who does home births, you may be able to get the HMO to provide some coverage for an out-of-network provider, although you’ll probably have to be persistent.

Home births, for low-risk mothers, are relatively safe. The death rate among babies born at home was similar to low-risk hospital births. The rates of medical interventions, including epidurals, episiotomies, and cesarean deliveries, was, however, found to be much lower among home births.

You should discuss your plans for a home birth with your health care practitioner.

Posted in Labor

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