How You Can Plan For The Investment

Jan 6

Written By Evensong Women’s Health and Midwifery

While accessing a private midwifery practice can feel like a luxury, it is one of the best investments into your health and well-being and we truly do believe you deserve it. When it comes to birth and babies, you only get to have that experience once. It’s crucial that you’re able to enjoy your pregnancy and give birth in a comforting and safe environment surrounded by those that you trust and feel wholly supported by. And it’s important to note that for some families, it’s actually less expensive when compared to traditional hospital birth.

For most, if you’re interested in having a home birth experience and you’re worried about affording it, there are ways that you can plan for the investment at your own pace. And remember, you may not be paying for the entire cost on your own. Insurance may reimburse a large portion of your fee leaving you with a significantly smaller portion or none at all.

Here are some creative solutions if you’re looking for ways that you can pay for your midwifery care:

Savings

After the first baby is born, often families discover that a hospital birth was not a good fit for them. If you are looking into home birth and it’s something that you believe is a possibility for your future, we suggest starting a savings account now for future pregnancies. That way, when you are ready or become pregnant again, you have a nest egg set aside.

Private Insurance

Within our practice, you will be responsible for your fee upfront before your birth. At the end of your care, you will receive an insurance invoice (complete with appropriate billing codes) that you will be able to submit for reimbursement. If they require additional paperwork or signatures we will work with you, not your insurance company, directly.

We also have a relationship with a midwifery billing company that can check coverage, as well as submit claims on your behalf, for a small fee. Please let us know if this is of interest to you and we can provide you with that information!

Barter

Long ago people would often trade midwifery care for eggs, milk, work on the house, or help on the farm. Today, bartering is often looked at as a thing of the past, however, we are open to discussing bartering for midwifery services. If you are looking into midwifery care and have a service or product to offer, we are always open to offering fair market prices in exchange for the care that we provide to families. Here's a list of items that would be beneficial to our families and suitable for bartering.

Fencing, tree cutting, landscaping, construction projects, chicken, beef, pork, fresh organic foods, car repair, or handyman services. If you have something to offer and you’re looking into midwifery care, let’s talk about it.

Gifts

Some families ask for home birth midwifery care as their gift from families and friends. When you get pregnant everybody wants to gift you all the things that they think are perfect and right for you. If midwifery care is what you want, put that on the registry! If you are having a baby shower, or another type of party (whether virtual or in-person) contact me and we’d be happy to give info on how your family and friends can add money, as a gift, to your midwifery account.

Health Spending Accounts

Some families have used flexible spending accounts (FSA) and healthcare spending accounts (HSA) to pay for their midwifery care. Please contact us about how you can make a payment with your FSA/HSA card or check towards healthcare for your and your new baby.

Credit Cards or Small Loans

You might also look into paying for your midwifery care with a credit card or a personal bank loan. Just be careful about signing up for something with a high-interest rate. Opening a low-interest account or taking advantage of a special is how some families pay for their home birth. Sometimes opening a new credit card will give you a special cashback offer so be on the lookout for those deals! CareCredit is a company that offers low-interest credit card options for medical care.

Be Creative!

If you don’t already have a side gig, you could start one that will generate funds short term. Maybe consider a second job, babysitting, house cleaning, holiday decorating, personal shopping, and more. There are many possibilities that could fit within the things you already do or have an interest in!

Tax Refunds

Tax refunds can sometimes feel like a passive way to save without being too intentional about it. Utilizing a tax refund is a frequent source of money families use to put toward midwifery services.

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No matter how you decide to pay for your midwifery care, you will see that it does take a little planning. Start early to figure out how you will be able to pay for the care that you and your baby both deserve. We also offer payment plans that can be spaced throughout your pregnancy so that you can start receiving midwifery care right away.

And please know that we do not take your investment lightly. We always feel honored that you have chosen us to make an investment into your health.

— Beth + Carrie