Wednesday, January 5, 2011

I have to make a call today that I've been putting off for two weeks now. It's going to kill me to do it, and I know I'll end up in tears, but I have to call Ellen and tell her that I won't be able to have her attend Cab's birth.  Steve is all up in arms over the cost and refuses to consider a home birth anymore. I hate that money is the deciding factor in whether or not I get to feel safe during labor. I know I'll still have Amy by my side, and that's a huge relief, but as we get closer and closer to March I'm getting more and more anxious about setting foot inside Butler Memorial.  I'm sure it's not helping that my chances of being attended on by the midwife that I actually trust at maternal services have dropped to nil. I'm not sure if she's left the OB's practice entirely or is just not working with MS anymore. I'll be playing roulette with the remaining midwife (who's not awful by any means. I would have just felt more comfortable with the one who ran her own home birthing practice for many years) and the handful of doctors whom I've never met or even laid eyes on. Awesome health care system, Butler County.

3 comments:

Professeur Bloodycassis said...

Hi there,

I'm sorry to hear that, it's really tough to realize money can decide how you're gonna live some important moments of your life... Here in france, my homebirth was quite expensive too (it's a shame too: we've got a healthcare system that pay expensive fees for every hospital birth, but if you want to give birth at home then you've got to pay it yourself, even though it's less expensive for the community (hospital birth -> average 4000$, home birth -> average 1000$).

Anyway, maybe you can try to spend as much time as you can at home before leaving for the hospital? I don't know it works in your country, but I know here a lot of women wait as long as they can at home, then they go to the hospital only for delivery, which gives you the opportunity to do the most part of the labour at home, quietly, before you get assaulted by nurses, doctors and machines :)

Take care,

Emilie

MamaShark said...

Staying at home as long as possible is definitely the plan. I wish we lived in one of the few states that cover home birth. With all the money it could potentially save them, you'd think they'd all be jumping on board. My insurance covered every penny of Finn's delivery and our 3 day hospital stay (a number in the tens of thousands) so the idea that they can't cover a $2400 home birth is ridiculous.

Bethany Susan said...

wow girl. i don't know what to say. other than that if you're into meditation at all, now is the time to do it. meditate on a safe, calm delivery and see yourself holding your happy, healthy baby.