Pregnancy Costs

[mrjarrell]

Why not have a home birth with a midwife? That'll cut the costs down considerably and cut out a lot of people who just flat out aren't needed. I know a few people who've gone that route and they've all been happy with the experience. There are a number of well qualified midwives in Indiana, many of whom attend to the home births for Amish and Mennonites. Friend of mine did this with their son a few years back and they were very happy and had a great experience for extremely low cost. The only reason I could see to go into a hospital is if your wife is having a risky pregnancy. If everything's normal...stay home and cut out the unnecessary expenditures.

 

[spec4]

Why not have a home birth with a midwife? That'll cut the costs down considerably and cut out a lot of people who just flat out aren't needed. I know a few people who've gone that route and they've all been happy with the experience. There are a number of well qualified midwives in Indiana, many of whom attend to the home births for Amish and Mennonites. Friend of mine did this with their son a few years back and they were very happy and had a great experience for extremely low cost. The only reason I could see to go into a hospital is if your wife is having a risky pregnancy. If everything's normal...stay home and cut out the unnecessary expenditures.

That's great unless there is a problem, and you don't always know if there is going to be a problem until it happens.

 

[PAPASHOT357]

My last little one was born in '08 and the bill came to about 30,000 for just the hospital (normal birth and observation time) they were on the phone trying to collect within a few weeks (luckily i had planned for this and saved) after ins. the bill due was about 3500 but they told me if i paid in lump sum they would knock off 25% so i wrote the check and had a bit of money to put back away for a rainy day (or impulse gun purchase)....

 

[Tryin']

Like an iPad, shop around. Hospitals (if you go that route) will adjust their price based on income and method of payment. I believe I was quoted 4400 at Riverview with all pre visits, one ultrasound, and epidural.

If you have the inclination (my wife did not), look into the midwife thing, I have read some very positive experiences reguarding it.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Sell your motorcycle!

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...1988_bmw_k75c_less_than_15k_miles_3500_a.html

 

[bwframe]

DOUBT EVERYTHING.

GET A SECOND OPINION ON EVERYTHING.

Do not TRUST someone just because he went to college for this in the 80s...

...Because it IS, an industry.

I have had enough of being Rambone for one day.

Sound advice from Dom!
It's been a while since babies for me. However, ordeals with my family make me agree 100%.

 

[mrjarrell]

That's great unless there is a problem, and you don't always know if there is going to be a problem until it happens.

That's why the trained midwife is there. And an ambulance comes pretty quick and gets there pretty quick. Home births used to be the norm and are still quite common. Shoot, my mom was born at home, premature. She and her siblings all survived. It's not as big a crap shoot as a hospital would have you believe. Most complications show up in advance, not at the moment of birth.

 

[iChokePeople]

Don't worry about it. Have you seen what a wedding costs these days, especially of you have a girl? Paying for a wedding has to be more painful than childbirth.

 

[IndyGunworks]

I just want to get through having the child w/out depleting ever last bit of savings we have. and w/out having to acrue interest on a loan for medical bills.

I dont mind the fact its expensive, i just dont know how it works if i owe 8,000 and cant pay it up front.

a child would be cheaper if i were on welfare.

 

[mcolford]

When we had my daughter (July 2008) our HOSPITAL bill alone was 19,000 (also went c-sec). Granted we had insurance, and I dont remember what we paid deductable wise. I tried to set up a payment plan with them but they said I make too much, and wouldnt do it. They demanded payment in full. I know we paid 500 out of pocket for our visits up to birth, including 3 3D ultrasounds. The 500 was our Deductable for the doctor.

Reccomendation: Go with the St. Vincent Network. We went to St. Joseph in Kokomo, and we had AMAZING care/treatment. Already planning to have our next child there if/when that day comes.


-MColford

 

[redneckmedic]

Nobody says you have to have the kid in a hospital.

 

[patience0830]

Volunteer!

Nobody says you have to have the kid in a hospital.

Sounds like RNM is willing to midwife for you! Save you buckets o' money.

 

[redneckmedic]

Sounds like RNM is willing to midwife for you! Save you buckets o' money.

It wouldn't be my first delivery, you get the OK from the wives, and mother-in-law and I'll send you a payment plan.... payable in smithing

 

[IndyGunworks]

Nobody says you have to have the kid in a hospital.

says the man who has had two kids in the hospital.

i am not seriously considering having the kid at home. while i understand those arguments, its not a risk i care to take w/ my loved ones.

 

[cordex]

We just had our first child 8 weeks ago at Hendricks Regional.

First of all, let me provide a counterpoint to dom1104. Despite what you may hear, not all hospitals and doctors are created equal. My wife wanted a "natural" birth (no drugs, no inducement, no routine medical intervention, etc) but we both felt more comfortable having the resources of a hospital. Her doc was just incredible. She was competent, confident, knowledgeable, open to my wife's ideas, put her patients before her own schedule and we never doubted she wanted the best for mother and baby. PM me if you want her name - her office is in Hendricks County. The nurses were great too. I guarantee you couldn't hire a doula that accommodating and warm, much less one with the medical knowledge and experience these ladies have. No one so much as asked her if she wanted drugs (as she specified in her birth plan) or tried to get her to do something we weren't comfortable with. I've got a lot of friends and family who have done the home birth thing, and unless you're dead set on a water birth I see absolutely no reason to do one at home if you find a good doc. I do recommend you shop around for doctors and hospitals though.

FYI, the hospital-offered birthing and breastfeeding courses we took were very strongly "natural" oriented too, for whatever that is worth.

Yeah, there are bad docs and bad hospital birth stories. By the same token, there are some crappy midwives and very bad home birth/birthing center experiences. Find the right one of either type and you'll do fine.

Now, as to the costs ... it ain't going to be cheap. We have decent insurance, had zero complications and no anesthesia costs so we're only going to be out of pocket about $3,500.

If you're ready to have a kid, my advice is not to worry so much about the money. Worry more about finding the right doctor and hospital for your wife and baby. If we were going to do it again and my insurance wouldn't cover the doctor we used, I'd pay for it out of pocket. But that's just me.

 

[abnk]

Sent you a PM. Hope it helps.

 

[IndyGunworks]

We just had our first child 8 weeks ago at Hendricks Regional.

First of all, let me provide a counterpoint to dom1104. Despite what you may hear, not all hospitals and doctors are created equal. My wife wanted a "natural" birth (no drugs, no inducement, no routine medical intervention, etc) but we both felt more comfortable having the resources of a hospital. Her doc was just incredible. She was competent, confident, knowledgeable, open to my wife's ideas, put her patients before her own schedule and we never doubted she wanted the best for mother and baby. PM me if you want her name - her office is in Hendricks County. The nurses were great too. I guarantee you couldn't hire a doula that accommodating and warm, much less one with the medical knowledge and experience these ladies have. No one so much as asked her if she wanted drugs (as she specified in her birth plan) or tried to get her to do something we weren't comfortable with. I've got a lot of friends and family who have done the home birth thing, and unless you're dead set on a water birth I see absolutely no reason to do one at home if you find a good doc. I do recommend you shop around for doctors and hospitals though.

FYI, the hospital-offered birthing and breastfeeding courses we took were very strongly "natural" oriented too, for whatever that is worth.

Yeah, there are bad docs and bad hospital birth stories. By the same token, there are some crappy midwives and very bad home birth/birthing center experiences. Find the right one of either type and you'll do fine.

Now, as to the costs ... it ain't going to be cheap. We have decent insurance, had zero complications and no anesthesia costs so we're only going to be out of pocket about $3,500.

If you're ready to have a kid, my advice is not to worry so much about the money. Worry more about finding the right doctor and hospital for your wife and baby. If we were going to do it again and my insurance wouldn't cover the doctor we used, I'd pay for it out of pocket. But that's just me.

thanks, i think we will be shopping around, and i think we are going to try to time the hospital birth to where it will happen after she is on a better plan w/ a MUCH MUCH lower max out of pocket, and lower deductable. that will still allow us to get pregnant this year, but incure the major costs after the first of next year when she will be on a better insurance plan.

 

[ATOMonkey]

We almost lost our first child while giving birth in the hospital. He wasn't breathing because he aspirated a LOT of fluid, and his heart was barely beating. Our second died at 30 weeks. Our third was presenting ear first, and we had to do an emergency C section since her heart rate was dropping. My wife was also bleeding internally after the section and had to be transfused. If not for hospitals, I would be childless and wifeless right now.

I'm not a big fan of midwives. Especially for first time mothers. There's no guarantee that baby will fit through those hips. LOTS of babies and mommas died before hospitals. The majority of births go just fine, but there are lots and lots that don't go well.

Start contributing to your HSA, that will help a TON. Go ahead and max it out now. All I ever had to do was call the hospital and say I couldn't pay the full boat. They asked how much I could pay. I told them about $6k (which is about how much you can put into an HSA as a family). They said ok. Took all of 5 minutes. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

We did that at Clarian West, which is now IU.

I gladly paid every red cent.

You get at least 3 bills.

1) Hospital

2) OB

3) Anesthesia

 

[IndyGunworks]

We almost lost our first child while giving birth in the hospital. He wasn't breathing because he aspirated a LOT of fluid, and his heart was barely beating. Our second died at 30 weeks. Our third was presenting ear first, and we had to do an emergency C section since her heart rate was dropping. My wife was also bleeding internally after the section and had to be transfused. If not for hospitals, I would be childless and wifeless right now.

I'm not a big fan of midwives. Especially for first time mothers. There's no guarantee that baby will fit through those hips. LOTS of babies and mommas died before hospitals. The majority of births go just fine, but there are lots and lots that don't go well.

Start contributing to your HSA, that will help a TON. Go ahead and max it out now. All I ever had to do was call the hospital and say I couldn't pay the full boat. They asked how much I could pay. I told them about $6k (which is about how much you can put into an HSA as a family). They said ok. Took all of 5 minutes. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

We did that at Clarian West, which is now IU.

I gladly paid every red cent.

You get at least 3 bills.

1) Hospital

2) OB

3) Anesthesia

unfortunatly, we have made this decision after open enrollment for insurance is over, so an HSA as far as i know right now is out of the question. we might be able to arrange for that next year though, when we are plannin on incurring a majority of the costs.

 

[ATOMonkey]

unfortunatly, we have made this decision after open enrollment for insurance is over, so an HSA as far as i know right now is out of the question. we might be able to arrange for that next year though, when we are plannin on incurring a majority of the costs.

If you have a high deductible (which it sounds like you do), you are eligible for an HSA. If your company won't sponsor one, just go down to the bank and set one up. They'll help you out. HSA's don't have to be connected to specific insurance plans.

You can also sign up for an HSA through your company after open enrollment. There is no restriciton on that.