Why does it have to be so expensive?

[mixy]

also i was just wanting to add, how many women does your midwife take per month? I believe the fee is more if she takes less women. just a thought

I am paying $3500 + $45p/h travel, she live 1 1/2 hours away so i will pay for her travel to the birth, then each visit to my house after the birth (every couple of days till 10 days or more if i need it etc.)
I dont think the cost is excessive becasue i can call her any time, day or night, for any thing, she is alway full of information, she never makes me feel pressured, so so different to what i have experiecnced, then she will stay with me for as long as i need during and after birth, she will come if her girls are sick, or need her. I cant imagine how hard that would be for any mother, Very well spent money IMO.

Also as TwoBoysOnly () said there is no insurence to get, i think this is really said, but is true.

[shed]

which PHI pays that much back?

[SPC]

I'm planning a totally free 'virtual' home birth...staying at home til the last minute, midwifery care at the birth centre, and a 4 hour discharge. I've also been given two student follow-through students midwives, that I look upon as being free doulas. We'll see.

My best friend has had 5 at home, back in the UK, where it's free and homebirths are much more common, [about 10% in Brighton]. It seems so unfair here that you have to pay.

[kymmy]

I think its worth it.

But then I am planning a freebirth so it will be free. I might just get a birthing pool though.

[V8]

That is a good point Mixy, my midwife has a regular job and does homebirths in addition to having 2 kids etc, so she only commits to one birth per month, therefore meaning she is quite sought after and you need to book in quite early to secure your place. So yeah she does charge about $3500 for full midwife services, which i have chosen not to follow, i have her for birth only purely for financial reasons and i have managed to save $2000 by doing ante-natal care through my GP (when i decide to bother going.) I am sure the extra services would be invaluable, but at this time i have only had a few nervous moments about it, but all is good now and i'm happy to continue with how i have arranged my care especially as financially i am depending on not using all of our BB for birth as we need it for other things. So yeah, it sucks that it's not compensated at all, but it's definately worth the expense.

[*Cj*]

which PHI pays that much back?

Defence Health

[lunawolfspirit]

it took me ages to find a mid wife in my area and her fee is 100 to have the fist consult with her then $5000 once baby is born. and yes u can pay with the baby bonus
but i had to ask my self if the baby bonus was $3000 would that still be the going rate like is she only charging that much because parents get that much ?
im sure she may be worth every cent but i just cant afford it even with the baby bonus, i want to put that money in a good saving account and try and keep it for my child.

so i am really up set that it cost so much and that i cant have one but i know its risky for them career wise to do home births

[MilkOnTap]

which PHI pays that much back?

Defence Health

Yep - we're pretty luck in that respect. I think the majority of PHI's have totally given midwifery benefits the boot as of 1st April 08; but Defence Health increased their benefit three-fold! AND you dont have to be on their top cover either! Their 'Public Hospital' cover actually pays out for home midwifery benefit - I jumped out of my chair when I heard lol.

im sure she may be worth every cent but i just cant afford it even with the baby bonus, i want to put that money in a good saving account and try and keep it for my child. so i am really up set that it cost so much and that i cant have one but i know its risky for them career wise to do home births

I understand LWS. Even though we ALL KNOW that its worth every cent; the issue is that we cant all afford it.

It only makes me want the gov't to implement a homebirth-friendly maternity system...

[mysonroger]

looks like i just researched the wrong doula......because between the prices, her attitude towards obstetritions, and giggling about her 'patient' who delivered on the side of the road ...it all went to putting me off the idea altogether. i got her name from reading the threads about doulas here on bubhub and another site and she was the one who came most recommended in brisbane. oh well.

but can i say one thing in defence of my experience with obstys. my first one had no weekends rostered off, she was there and available all the time. there was never a question that she was going to be the one who delivered DS and DD. and my current obsty, who definitely has her own set of anti doula ideas (she had worked with them up until recently) , gives out her home number firstly, which i have used at midnight ......woke her up to ask her a question (bless her), and really took some time out to guide me through a late miscarriage last year that had devastated me. i do feel as though she is available to me.......and i think this comes from past experiences.

i actually thought my current obsty was a bit of a nazi about the birth and my choices at first, but once i sat down and discussed what i wanted to achieve, she really supported me. .

but anyway, back to the original post, i suppose if you wanted to , or were able to go the homebirth and you believed you had the best quality care for you and your baby delivered by an IM of your choice, then i suppose you have to expect to pay the bucks for it. but yeah, whether you can afford it or not is an entirely separate issue, especially these days, where every expenditure has to be scrutinised.

[shed]

The midwife I have lined up for my next birthing takes the price of a doula off her price.

I am not sure I will be using a doula next time though. For me, the doula was to protect me from the hospital staff last time, and next time there won't be any hospital staff, so I won't need one as much.

My doula from last time has moved away, otherwise I probably would have her again anyway, just because she was good to have around last time.

Sydney midwives seem to charge more. They all seem to be around $4,000. I think they probably do adjust their prices to be in line with the baby bonus. I don't think they overcharge for what they provide though, compared to an obstetrician. Homebirth midwives do the after care as well, in place of the community midwife, which an obstetrician doesn't do. So they are probably worth more really (they definitely are in my eyes anyway, of course), but since they know that people can't claim on it they just stick to the baby bonus price.