My mw just emailed me...

[Pencil Pusher]

You know, just checking to see how everything's going. I called a while back to check her rates, ins, etc., so she knows I'm pregnant. She hasn't heard back from me since...December, maybe? And she was just checking on me. (wow.)

I'm just floored at how some of these places act like just answering the phone is such. an. inconvenience. And the contrast between her and them is SO distinct. I really love this woman!

[beansprouts]

Is she not giving you prenatal care?

[Pencil Pusher]

Is she not giving you prenatal care?

No--I haven't decided what to do about it yet.

[beansprouts]

Are you having a homebirth? Or is that what you are trying to decide?

[Pencil Pusher]

Are you having a homebirth? Or is that what you are trying to decide?

No, ins doesn't cover my mw. I'd have to do a hosp mw. Otherwise, I'm paying her out of pocket. Which is really not even a question, except that dh is in seminary & $ is tight. Kwim?

[Mama Lynx]

Aubrey,

What about payment plans, or bartering? Many midwives will work with you.

[beansprouts]

Yep I know. We paid out of pocket for our homebirths. I am so frustrated with health insurance...

[Eliana]

No--I haven't decided what to do about it yet.

Usually the bulk of the bill is for the delivery itself and the prenatal visits are fairly inexpensive. Perhaps, while you are deciding, you could get prenatal care from her?
Eliana

[Pencil Pusher]

Payment plans are not the issue. I need to file our taxes, & then the money's there. It's just a question of whether to use the money that way.

This pg has been my easiest so far, so I'm not worried about getting to see someone quickly, although I am at the point that I've told dh I think it's time to decide.

There's been a little more to the decision than I've posted here, so he's been praying about it. But since the question came up, we've received $ in the mail anonymously & from people who didn't know it was an issue. At this point, without touching the tax return, we can pay for nearly half of a home birth.

There were still 2 mw groups that our ins would cover, though, so I called them yesterday. They were supposed to be mw who operated out of a birth center, but, in fact, they were hospital mw's. One group I think was the very one I visited last mo & didn't like.

That pretty much clenches it for dh. He says he's convicted about a home birth, which I think is sweet. I've told him I'll go to a hospital if I need to, & he's said he'll find the money to pay for a homebirth.

And just as I'm typing this, I've remembered that we put a lot of furniture in our shed at my in-laws house. We wanted to sell it, but didn't get it listed on Craig's list until mid-December when everybody was thinking about Christmas gifts. I bet if we were to re-list it, that would cover another significant portion of the birth.

See, it's fine either way. It was just a question of which path was wiser. I couldn't decide that on my own, but talking it out here while dh prayed about it was really helpful.

Also, fwiw, dh's job is going MUCH better. He was finally transferred to his new store, where he's consistently gotten at least 30 hrs (as opposed to the 10 he was getting at the old place or the 40 he was originally promised). He's finally started training for the position for which he was hired, & his new boss *loves* him. She says he works so hard he makes the other shift managers nervous. He's met the district manager, who was so impressed with him that she took the time to email his boss.

The whole reason dh took this job was because the assistant managers have decent schedules & make slightly more $ than we'd hoped to be making while here. But being in sch, they wouldn't hire him for that position--only shift manager. So he took the shift position in hopes of being promoted. The store he's at now doesn't have an assistant, & the manager herself is pretty new. Dh has tons of experience in cust service & inventory management, the 2 weakest areas of the store.

So he's hoping things are looking up. At the very least, we shouldn't have another month when he brings home $700.:w00t:

[Cadam]

That all sounds so wonderful. I am gad things are getting settled.

We need one of these.
:party:

[beansprouts]

That is excellent news, Aubrey. I am glad things are working out :)

[AnneJ]

I am so glad that your financial situation is looking up and that your prayers have been answered.

Have you seen Ricki Lake's movie "The Business of Being Born"? It is all about home births. It was quite amazing and I really enjoyed watching it.