Would you have a home birth if you had to pay?

[3011busyyear]

For those that have had one or more home births and would like another, would you still decide to go for one if you had to pay?
I'm trying to think about what to do second time round. First time I had planned a home birth but they didn't have the staff so I ended up having to go in.
Next time I would like a home birth but as they can't guarantee a midwife I would not want to risk it and would probably decide on a hospital birth in advance to save any drama once I go into labour! I'm looking at a private midwife just for the birth but I would be a few hundred pounds at least, is a home birth really worth it?

 

[silver_penny]

Yes, I would pay, and I have. I don't have insurance, and here in the US we don't have a free medical system (not that I'm complaining, I actually prefer it this way!) I paid for our first midwife, ended up being transfered to hospital. With my second we did an unassisted homebirth, and I have to say it was much better.

 

[ambreen359]

hi i am in uk and we are paying for an independant mw main reason is choice i turned 40 just b4 i found out i was pregnant and when i went to c doc he said having hb was not a good idea for me because of my age
i wanted to choose a hb and know i did not need to fight 4 it, this is my 3rd, 1st 2 born at hospital
we dont have lots of money but we pay for a naturopath we pay for lots of alternative therapies so why not 4 birth - it guarantees 4 the most part that what u want is what u get

 

[Mervs Mum]

They are obliged to provide you with a mw regardless of their staffing issues so before you spend the £3000 on and inde mw (yes 3 grand not a few hundred!) then bear that in mind. If you are concerned about negotiating this on the day, a few hundred would get you a doula who would be able to take that stress away from you so you could concentrating on labouring

 

[ambreen359]

yes it is 2750 pounds but what u get for that u def dont get on the NHS
u get your mw visiting each month for a couple of hours if we had not gone with our mw i would not have found out i was anemic until i was 14 wks instead of at 8wks that was my 1st appointment on nhs ,every month i get my bloods taken she calls me with results few days later and she comes to my house at my conveniance also she gives u any info u ask 4 without scaremongering i have 2 kids allready and everytime i questioned anything the hosp were doing i was told it was best 4 baby
also someone mentioned a doula i assume u pay her 2 and thats not free
with an indep mw when u r in labour they stay with u till the end they dont leave when there shift is finished and r replaced by someone else who u may or may not know
this is my 1st time using an indep and despite the cost i would do it again and would highly recommend it

 

[Twinkle81]

Hi

I had a home birth with my 2nd and because of my BMI my original MW referred me to a consultant for a GTT. Anyway they put off referring me to the home birth team. After I passed my GTT the registrar that saw me basically gave me all the negatives about homebirths, told me all about post partum haemorrhaging, shoulder distorsia, and many other things that in the end had me in tears, luckily I had read up on the nice guidelines and it fully states that if you want a home birth then you are entitles to the free service from the nhs. I phoned the homebirth team direct and told them my problems and they fought for me to have my homebirth, I saw another consultant and she said she would completely support me and I got my nhs paid for home birth.

I have to say my nhs midwife was amazing and I still talk to her now she was there for me when ever I needed her. And though my appointments were once a month I could call her at any time day or night just to chat if I was nervous or had anything to worry about. She made me and my husband feel great about the homebirth.

Sadly she no longer works for my hospital and has moved on and this time I have a different nhs MW who is again amazing and I let my old mw know about the up coming birth and she wants to be there if its okay with me which I am very happy about. Even if my mw was with another pregnant women when I go into labour they would send someone else.

The nhs does work but sometimes it only works if you know exactly what you are entitled to. Seriously guys you should read the NICE guidelines on pregnancy every NHS trust has to follow the guidelines!

Sorry about the long post

 

[wintermama]

I would say, if it's in your heart to have a home birth, and you have the resources, it is definitely, without a doubt, worth every penny.
Our insurance in the States did not cover our home birth, or any prenatal visits with our midwife--even though she was a CNM (and practiced in a hospital as well at assisting home births). We paid out of pocket, and it was worth it.

 

[NaturalMomma]

Yes. I paid for my homebirth out of my pocket. Homebirths aren't covered by my insurance where I live. I'm planning another homebirth in 2013 and I will be paying again.

 

[Bournefree]

Hey Busyyear,

I fully appreciate how you feel about planning a home birth, and then perhaps being told in labour that they don’t have the staff available. I am facing a similar situation; I am expecting my second don July, and had a home birth with my first. I feel sick at the thought that I might not be able to be supported at home for this baby - There are staffing problems at my hospital, and effectively they have suspended a home birth service. I have some time before I’m term to be able to fight for the care that I am entitled, and I feel that you should too. I know that this is not an easy option - but you are legally entitled to a choice in your place of birth and you are entitled to a birth service.

Please for me and others, consider making your decision to have a home birth VERY clear to your MW and contact your head of midwifery. The positives are that you are not faced with at this time, (as you were with your first), with “having to” go into hospital, or a birthing centre. You can insist on your rights. However, I know plenty of women who don’t’ want to fight, who don’t like the uncertainly (I certainly don’t.. but that is what is motivating me), and decide that the fail-safe option is to choose an independent MW and avoid confrontation - I find this very understandable. The reasons why I’m prepared to fight on involve several reasons, but the most important ones for me are that I strongly feel that I’m being “wronged” by my NHS Trust and that I’m also making this decision for all the other women in my area, both present and future, who decide on a home birth, so that they too have a “real choice” and it isn’t rhetoric.

ambreen359 makes clear some brilliant advantages to having an independent MW, such as they do see more women who are outside of the “normal” and that is making Indp Mws arguably more highly skilled than their NHS colleagues.. I.e they are much more happy to accept multiple births, so called over 35YOA “geratic” mothers, etc; also you are assured one-to-one care (they don’t have a shift change in the middle of your labour), you can see them both antenatal and postnatal and this ensures continuity of care (which has been proved to increase a satisfying (medically and personally) outcome for both mother and baby, they see you in your own home, and you will not have the pressure of the next lady waiting for their appointment, or if they are running late - there are so many great points about an Indp MW.

However, I would still implore you to make a decision to ensure what you are entitled to - and whilst we are talking about money - after all you have already paid for your NHS to attend you at home in labour and birth.

I will support you all the way - either way. It is your choice and I know that it is a really hard decision to make.. I wish you courage and I know that either way you will have your home birth you so wish. It is an amazing experience and not one to be missed.
xXx

 

[ambreen359]

Hi Bournefree
i also do agree with u and normally i would fight but 2yrs ago i had a road traffic accident and for the 1st time really apart from labour 18yrs ago i was subjected to the nhs i had 2major reconstructions within 5days of each other the 1st was necessary because of the trauma and both lasted 8hours The second surgery was only needed because they had messed up the 1st so i had another 8 hour surgery because they missed things and made a mistake
the whole time i have been in hospital i was terrified of getting an infection on top of everything else - this has def impacted my decision on having a child at home and also not having to fight 4 something i want - but at the end of the day if there was anything wrong i would go

 

[Bournefree]

Certainly for you then Ambreen, it is a much more comfortable and comforting decision to go with your Indp MW, as your previous experience of the NHS hasn't been a positive one. It is about having choice and being content with your choice. It is very important for us as individuals to take into account our personal feelings - they can impact you so very deeply; both emotionally and physically.

I couldn't afford to pay for an Indp MW... But I know that if push came to shove (excuse the pun), and I really was facing a choice between only either a hospital birth and a home birth with an Indp MW.. I would move heaven and earth to secure an Indp MW, as it is very important to me to have this baby with support at home.

At the moment, I'm waiting to find out if my Trust is going to make me an assurance they will have a MW for me in labour or not. If they can't give me that assurance, then I'm prepared to go to court to enforce my rights. I strongly feel that a removal of a home birth service (which falls under "essential care"), would be to deny me and other women my/their full humanity.
XxX

 

[ambreen359]

Certainly for you then Ambreen, it is a much more comfortable and comforting decision to go with your Indp MW, as your previous experience of the NHS hasn't been a positive one. It is about having choice and being content with your choice. It is very important for us as individuals to take into account our personal feelings - they can impact you so very deeply; both emotionally and physically.

I couldn't afford to pay for an Indp MW... But I know that if push came to shove (excuse the pun), and I really was facing a choice between only either a hospital birth and a home birth with an Indp MW.. I would move heaven and earth to secure an Indp MW, as it is very important to me to have this baby with support at home.

At the moment, I'm waiting to find out if my Trust is going to make me an assurance they will have a MW for me in labour or not. If they can't give me that assurance, then I'm prepared to go to court to enforce my rights. I strongly feel that a removal of a home birth service (which falls under "essential care"), would be to deny me and other women my/their full humanity.
XxX

I completley understand where your coming from i am fighting for compensation and its been 2yrs i dont have another fight in me
I hope u get the HB without going to that length x

 

[Celesse]

If we won the lottery before I have my next baby, or OH suddenly got a super brilliant job, or we somehow had the spare cash then yes. But we simply cannot afford that much.

As I'm gonna be VBACing next time and will have a fight on my hands I am thinking of getting a doula so I have someone who understands my birth plan and can fight my corner whilst I'm in the throws of labour and OH is hiding in a corner shaking somewhere.

 

[Rmar]

Yes. There are no hopsital run programs around where I am and even if there was, I feel it would limit me a lot more with policies than an IM. That just seems to be the way the system works around here. We seem to be handing over a lot of money for something that I feel all women should be entitled to. For now, I don't mind, but I want something to change in the future that somehow makes an IM more accessible for more women.

 

[Kess]

I agree with the people who've said Independent MWs have other advantages than just knowing they'll be there for the birth without having to fight for them. I booked with one as I'm just not up for fighting this time - first labour, first pregnancy after a MC, terrified of transferring into hospital (the thing that affects the likelihood of this most is having continuity of care, which in my area I just wouldn't get on the NHS - I could have any one of 15 or so MWs show up for my HB, and then when shift changes any other one of 15 strangers). The biggest comfort I'm finding atm in having an Ind MW is knowing that if she says, "We need to transfer to hospital" for whatever reason, I know it's a REAL reason, medically necessary, not that she is uncomfortable with HBs or has staffing issues in the back of her head. She is totally on my side, and on board with the birth I want, so I can relax in labour and not second guess her.

As for the cost, we spent £5000 on our wedding and honeymoon. That was one day (and a nice holiday), and in no way life and death or going to negatively affect my bonding with someone important if it went wrong or anything. Yes, an IMW was a huge chunk of our savings, but we're frugal precisely in order to build up savings for this sort of thing. We don't drink, or eat out, buy new clothes very rarely, don't smoke, have a small mortgage due to living in a tiny house in a cheap area of the country, DH car-shared to work to save petrol, etc. I think a lot of people look at the cost and automatically think "I can't afford it" - I know we did. But tbh, a lot of people could afford it, if they adjusted their lifestyle and made it a priority. If they don't want to do that, that's fine and no-one should feel pushed into spending money they're not comfortable with. But if you really want to, there are ways, they're just not easy.

BourneFree, I really hope you get your HB. Next time, I'd be more willing to fight, I've surprised myself actually in taking the easy way out this time (normally I'd be the type to go in all guns blazing and INSISTING on what I was due), but with the issues this time I just couldn't face it. Is there anything non-pregnant people can do? To help secure the right to a HB for anyone who wants one?

 

[Bournefree]

Is there anything non-pregnant people can do? To help secure the right to a HB for anyone who wants one?

Thank you Kess so much for your support and wise words!

Also great point (above)! I really think there is.
If I was a women of pregnable age with or without a family already - I would be joining your local Maternity Services Liason Commitee (MSLC). This commitee is dedicated to improving maternity services in your county and reports back directly to the commisioners and board meetings of the maternity services for your county. Also you will be able to meet the heads of midwifery for all the hospitals in your area and have direct effect on those services - afterall they are accountable to you (Past present and future pregnant women)
XxX

 

[Kess]

Is there anything non-pregnant people can do? To help secure the right to a HB for anyone who wants one?

Thank you Kess so much for your support and wise words!

Also great point (above)! I really think there is.
If I was a women of pregnable age with or without a family already - I would be joining your local Maternity Services Liason Commitee (MSLC). This commitee is dedicated to improving maternity services in your county and reports back directly to the commisioners and board meetings of the maternity services for your county. Also you will be able to meet the heads of midwifery for all the hospitals in your area and have direct effect on those services - afterall they are accountable to you (Past present and future pregnant women)
XxX

That's interesting. There is a local homebirth group here that apparently has members who are fighting for their HBs. I might get involved after Dinky is born and I've settled into motherhood.

 

[Jenniflower]

As for the cost, we spent £5000 on our wedding and honeymoon. That was one day (and a nice holiday), and in no way life and death or going to negatively affect my bonding with someone important if it went wrong or anything.

I love this comment and think it's such a fair point! You know how you can get gift vouchers for your honeymoon now. I think they should create something that allows you to get gift vouchers for an IMW! Instead of just another pink onsie how about something useful? (Oh the ideas are now brewing in my mind...)

 

[chuck]

As for the cost, we spent £5000 on our wedding and honeymoon. That was one day (and a nice holiday), and in no way life and death or going to negatively affect my bonding with someone important if it went wrong or anything.

I love this comment and think it's such a fair point! You know how you can get gift vouchers for your honeymoon now. I think they should create something that allows you to get gift vouchers for an IMW! Instead of just another pink onsie how about something useful? (Oh the ideas are now brewing in my mind...)

Uho...she's plotting now....lol but that would be amazinga far better gift than another bloody blanket!

 

[sam#3]

If i had to pay then me personally i would do it unassisted but if i didnt feel confident enough to do that then i would pay for a doula....... i could never bring myself to pay the amount ind mw's charge, i think they cash in on something that *should* be available to every woman on the NHS