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The Homebirth Option

Why Are More and More Women Choosing a Homebirth?

By Kelly Burgess

"Since I had read a lot about birth and what was normal and abnormal, I think I might have been able to tell if something was going wrong," Yuen says. "I also remembered reading that when a labor is proceeding extremely quickly as mine did, it's usually a sign that everything is perfect and there are no complications. Remembering this helped me not to be afraid to give birth without the midwife there."

In the case of all three women in this story, they chose to take a financial hit by giving birth at home because the midwives were not covered by insurance in the same way a doctor would have been. As a Canadian citizen, most of Yuen's health is covered by the government, but midwifery is not so she had to pay out of pocket.

When her son was born, Nieforth was living in Portland, Ore., and had an HMO. The HMO agreed to cover the necessary tests, but Nieforth had to pay $1,200 for the midwife. She also notes, ruefully, that the doctors she worked with in tandem weren't shy about expressing their disapproval of homebirth.

In fact, most insurance companies don't cover lay midwives at all, especially in the case of homebirths. However, many insurance companies cover certified nurse midwives (CRN), who usually work in a hospital setting in tandem with physicians. CRNs don't generally assist at homebirths.

Still, Yuen and Lehrman both chose to go the homebirth route for their second children, and Nieforth says she would do it again in a heartbeat. For them, and for many women, giving birth at home is a truly natural alternative.

Cindy Donnelly of Gibsonia, Pa., says she should have had fair warning when her second birth nearly took place in the car. With the third, she woke up in labor but didn't feel the need to rush. She called her husband, a pediatrician, who said he'd be home in 30 minutes. When he walked in the door and said he was going to change out of his work clothes, she followed him up the stairs and told him he didn't have time. He delivered their third child a few moments later.

Want to see more?

• Check out our Article Library.
• Welcome Home Baby! Two Moms Share Their Home Birth Stories
• Mother-friendly: 10 Steps of the Mother-friendly Childbirth Initiative for Mother-Friendly Hospitals, Birth Centers and Home Birth Services
• The Home Team: Where Do You Start When Drafting Your Homebirth Delivery Team?
• Talk about it!