Home Birth Costs???Help??

Moyi

Hi there, relatively new to boards.ie, trying to find out info on how much of the cost the Mid-Western Health Board(MWHB) are willing to cover for a Home Birth..im just after finding out that im pregnant,i want to give birth at home and am not sure if i should get health insurance to cover some of the costs of a SECM(self employed community midwife)or if the MWHB will cover everything?anybody got any sound advice?thanks!

lonestargirl

Moyi wrote: »

Hi there, relatively new to boards.ie, trying to find out info on how much of the cost the Mid-Western Health Board(MWHB) are willing to cover for a Home Birth..im just after finding out that im pregnant,i want to give birth at home and am not sure if i should get health insurance to cover some of the costs of a SECM(self employed community midwife)or if the MWHB will cover everything?anybody got any sound advice?thanks!

I've no idea what the costs/logistics of a home birth are but you won't be able to get health insurance to cover it at this point. Most policies have a wait time of 52 weeks before they cover pregnancy.

Moyi

oh dear..i didnt realize that...guess i shouldnt bother with it so and maybe work out a "pay as i go" option with my midwife???thanks for the advice!:)

Das Kitty

There's no MWHB anymore, the HSE was was set up to take over from all the individual health boards. As far as I know the HSE don't currently offer any support for homebirth at the moment.

January

Have a look here:

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/birth_family_relationships/before_your_baby_is_born/home_birth.html

Particularly this part:

In certain circumstances, where a mother opts for a home birth, the HSE will provide a grant of up to €1,270 towards midwifery costs. Some local HSE offices have suspended payment of the home birth grant indefinitely.

Moyi

thanks to all that replied hopefully will be able to sort something out!!!;)

Squiggler

Das Kitty wrote: »

the HSE don't currently offer any support for homebirth at the moment.

Not true. The HSE will make payments directly to the midwife, provided you meet the criteria for a home birth and you use an approved midwife.

We are planning a home birth (first pregnancy) in March. The first thing you need to do is find a midwife in your area, they are in short supply and increasing demand. They will meet with you to discuss the requirements, costs, what you need to do to obtain HSE approval etc...

The midwife will be able to tell you what the costs are, with and without HSE assistance.

crazy cat lady

www.homebirth.ie

Fulll list of Independant Midwives there and their contact numbers.

I've met Philomena Canning, she seems great and been in the job for a long time. She worked in Scotland as a community midwife for ages.

Theres actually information on there about water births and pool hire (I saw your other thread there!)

I think you'll find the website really useful.

SanFran07

Hi Moyi

The HSE pays the Midwife 2400 Euro towards homebirth costs - but you'd have to pay any balance due. If you were in Cork it would be free. Most Midwives are happy with a pay as you go option and if you can get a MW the fees may differ quite a bit.

January

Actually, don't the community midwives in Holles St have a home birth option also? I'm sure there's a catchment area but if you're near there it might be worth asking about.

Not sure if they do it for first time mothers though?

crazy cat lady

adrieanne__x wrote: »

Not sure if they do it for first time mothers though?

Yes they do, as long as your pregnancy is low risk and you meet all the criteria

Squiggler

My husband and I are expecting our first child in March. As long as there is no history (mother or mother's mother) of certain conditions there is no difficulty gaining approval for a home birth, provided you live in an area where Midwives are available. In most cases the additional cost will be almost entirely covered by VHI or similar (if you have Private Health Insurance).

In terms of cost, it varies depending on the midwife. Our midwife doesn't charge anything over the HSE payments unless those charges will be covered by Medical Insurance and the expectant parents are happy to claim on it.

So, without having to pay anything out of pocket (above what I pay in insurance premiums and PRSI anyway) we have dedicated one-to-one care, provided in our home, at times that are convenient to us as well as to ourmidwife. No travelling to appointments, no waiting rooms. Visits are relaxed, not rushed, with plenty of time to ask questions and to get to know each other. The lack of added stress is wonderful. As a backup, incase there are any complications during labour, I've also got a file opened in one of the maternity hospitals, but I have to say that one visit there was enough for me.

Cat Melodeon

Sorry for hijacking the thread OP, but does anyone know if it's possible to hire a midwife for antenatal care and then opt for delivery in a hospital? I would love to have a home birth but had some minor issues with high blood pressure towards the end of pregnancy and while my pregnancy and labour/birth were problem free, I don't think I'd be comfortable with a home birth as we live so far from the hospital (35 min drive breaking the speed limit, 50 mins with tractors on the road!). However, I would love the option of having a dedicated midwife to come to me (or even for me to go to her) and then to attend the birth in hospital.

There doesn't seem to be anything available in any of the catchment areas I fall into (Kilkenny, Tipp, Limerick) but if anyone knows differently could they let me know?

Moonbeam

You might be able to if they have community midwive schemes.
I would love to live within the catchment area of such a scheme and near enough to a hospital that home birth could be an option.

Squiggler

Cat, it looks like the nearest Community Midwife led unit to you would be Waterford The best place in the country to live if you want a home birth is currently Cork, where there is a very high level of support. Dublin is probably next.

My sister tried everything to organise home births for her two but in the end she had to resign herself to Kilkenny. It is a pity that the option isn't available to everyone. I know that I would be willing to pay all the costs myself if I had to, but in most of the country there is just no option.

wmpdd3

Cat Melodeon wrote: »

Sorry for hijacking the thread OP, but does anyone know if it's possible to hire a midwife for antenatal care and then opt for delivery in a hospital? I would love to have a home birth but had some minor issues with high blood pressure towards the end of pregnancy and while my pregnancy and labour/birth were problem free, I don't think I'd be comfortable with a home birth as we live so far from the hospital (35 min drive breaking the speed limit, 50 mins with tractors on the road!). However, I would love the option of having a dedicated midwife to come to me (or even for me to go to her) and then to attend the birth in hospital.

There doesn't seem to be anything available in any of the catchment areas I fall into (Kilkenny, Tipp, Limerick) but if anyone knows differently could they let me know?

Have you been in touch with the Domino's team in Waterford? I have a mobile no. if you want to PM me. I know women who have had home births up around Comolin / Carlow area not sure where those midwives are actually based.