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Homebirth Help
A Certified Doula Answers Common Questions on Homebirth
By Kelly Camden, Certified Doula
Families receive much support for breastfeeding and are not offered formula when they give birth at home. The combination of no separation and increased support leads to greater success with breastfeeding.
According to the study in the British American Journal, "At six weeks postpartum, 95.8 percent of these women were still breastfeeding their babies, 89.7 percent exclusively."
Homebirth tends to be very family centered. If you would like to include other children in the labor or birth, plan it in advance. Practice deep breathing, make birth sounds and read books about homebirth together. It is recommended that an adult other than your partner be present to tend to the needs of the children, who may want to watch their mother or may prefer to play in another room. The babysitter should be someone who is flexible and not attached to witnessing the birth.
Some midwives are able to accept insurance or can be billed as an out of network provider. Some midwives work with Medicaid. It seems that they all offer payment plans, so that families can pay their balance off throughout the pregnancy. If a homebirth must be paid for out of pocket, parents might consider asking for "birth bucks" instead of baby shower gifts.
"An economic analysis found that an uncomplicated vaginal birth in hospital in the United States cost on average three times as much as a similar birth at home with a midwife," according to the homebirth study.
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