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So after all was said and done I didn't qualify for insurance and
was beginning to freak out. My OB costs like six-grand for all the
prenatal stuff and that price didn't include hospital services or
antyhing, which can easily run another $10,000. Then she wanted me to
get ultrasounds every month and that's another $350/ea. (I hate
ultrasounds.)
I was, quite honestly, starting to freak out. Hardcore.
Part of my freaking-out was complaining incessantly to my husband.
"Why am I going to pay for something when they can't do anything right
anyway? It was their fault the cord was in the wrong place. They are
the ones that don't believe me and insist I'm having ten-pound babies
and I have to be induced a week beforehand. The nurses treat me like a
lab rat with my no drugs and get away from me I'm having a baby here
attitude. They made me cross my legs and hold the baby in because the
doctor wasn't at the hospital even though they induced me! Why am I
going to pay for the part of childbirth that I hate?!"
And Randy said, "Then don't have the baby in the hospital."
And I said, "I should just have it in the living room. Right here. Squat and drop."
Just like that, it was (somewhat) decided. Now all I had to do was,
you know, find someone to come into my living room to spot me while I
did my baby-having workout.
There are two routes to go here in Illinois. (Well there are
variations on the midwife/doula/whatever so there are more than two but
I like to make things easy for myself.)
- Homefirst.
A company that has Illinois licensed doctors that come to your home and
give you a hand having your baby in your living room. Very
anti-immunization and they will support you with extended
breastfeeding. When I called the billing person to get a price, she
went on kind of a twenty-minute aside about why you should never use a
midwife because they're unlicensed and that's not good. Then when she
was talking about the main doctor she mentioned he wasn't only a
doctor, he was a lawyer as well. (Neither of those last two topics sat
well with me. You don't talk smack about your competition, you know?
Plus...wow, he can deliver my baby and defend himself in court if he
screws it up. Scary!) - Midwives. Much more difficult to find than Homefirst, midwives (so
Homefirst tells me) are unlicensed women that will help you deliver
your baby. The one I talked to seemed nice, is giving up stuff for
lent, and would be just fine not giving me another ultrasound unless it
became medically necessary. Since I really and truly don't care what
the baby is, a surprise it will be. We talked about childbirth long
enough that I could tell she was really comfortable talking about
different medical terms and corrected me when I said something wrong. I
like when people correct me!
I keep trying to figure out why the Homefirst company was down on
midwives. I don't think many women choose the baby-in-the-living-room
because they are the type of woman who believes doctors can do no
wrong. Right? Maybe the home birth niche of women in my area is small
enough they really have to do their best to make a solid impression and
drive out the competition. But the midwife never, ever got competitive.
She just talked to me and...you know...listened.
It's been a nice change so far and we're just one phone call in.
I'm much more relaxed now, especially because I know we can afford
the $3700 price tag ($500 discount if you pay by your 32nd week - love
it!) and if something does go wrong, I'm literally two miles from a
hospital. I figure lets not end up with insane medical bills unless
it's, you know, medically necessary.
Disclaimer: Of course, homebirth is not for high-risk pregnancies
or any other kind of pregnancy except mine. This is SO not medical
advice. Just Sayin'
Cross Posted At Beyond Mom
