Having a baby in the USA: our experience
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: May 2011
Location: New Mexico, USA
Posts: 231
Having a baby in the USA: our experience
I've seen people post about this before so I thought I'd add our experience to the pool.
I discovered I was pregnant last summer with my first child, and I was able to get maternity care starting at 5 weeks pregnant. I work for a university and part of their health insurance plan includes access to all the university hospital's services at little to no additional cost. All of my maternity care, from checkups to blood tests to ultrasounds, was $0 copay. So, cost of all maternity services from 0 - 9 months, including two trips to the ER for obstetric patients: $8, and that was for a prescription.
I was given the option by my clinic to see a midwife or an OB, and I chose a midwife because my pregnancy was low risk with no complications. I was very happy with my midwife care. It was very low intervention and I had very few tests and procedures. I gave birth at the university hospital, whose labour and delivery ward is run by midwives. The hospital has a low c-section rate and a low epidural rate and does not perform elective c-sections or elective inductions, which appealed to me, and the only intervention I had during labour was a saline drip and some monitoring of the baby's heartbeat. Everything else, I could choose to ask for if I wanted it.
For triage, delivery and room and board, the amount billed to insurance was just over $6,000. Our cost is going to be about $950. I didn't have an epidural so that reduced the cost I'm sure. I'm frugal to the end We chose to hire a doula for the birth, which, as some people here may know, is a non-medical support person who helps with the birth and the postnatal period. They're quite common in our state and our hospital was very welcoming to her. It was a really busy day at L&D so she was great for support when the midwife was rushing in and out so much. The cost for her services was $800 and she was worth every penny.
I was extremely happy with the quality of my prenatal care, hospital care, and postnatal care. My advice is to shop around for maternity care and make sure to double check what's covered and what's not; I found a great clinic at the start who told me at the end of our conversation, "You do know that we're out of network for you, right?" This was despite them being listed as in network on my insurance company's website. Typical. It worked out well though, because I switched to university hospital care soon afterwards.
Happy to answer any questions people might have.
I discovered I was pregnant last summer with my first child, and I was able to get maternity care starting at 5 weeks pregnant. I work for a university and part of their health insurance plan includes access to all the university hospital's services at little to no additional cost. All of my maternity care, from checkups to blood tests to ultrasounds, was $0 copay. So, cost of all maternity services from 0 - 9 months, including two trips to the ER for obstetric patients: $8, and that was for a prescription.
I was given the option by my clinic to see a midwife or an OB, and I chose a midwife because my pregnancy was low risk with no complications. I was very happy with my midwife care. It was very low intervention and I had very few tests and procedures. I gave birth at the university hospital, whose labour and delivery ward is run by midwives. The hospital has a low c-section rate and a low epidural rate and does not perform elective c-sections or elective inductions, which appealed to me, and the only intervention I had during labour was a saline drip and some monitoring of the baby's heartbeat. Everything else, I could choose to ask for if I wanted it.
For triage, delivery and room and board, the amount billed to insurance was just over $6,000. Our cost is going to be about $950. I didn't have an epidural so that reduced the cost I'm sure. I'm frugal to the end We chose to hire a doula for the birth, which, as some people here may know, is a non-medical support person who helps with the birth and the postnatal period. They're quite common in our state and our hospital was very welcoming to her. It was a really busy day at L&D so she was great for support when the midwife was rushing in and out so much. The cost for her services was $800 and she was worth every penny.
I was extremely happy with the quality of my prenatal care, hospital care, and postnatal care. My advice is to shop around for maternity care and make sure to double check what's covered and what's not; I found a great clinic at the start who told me at the end of our conversation, "You do know that we're out of network for you, right?" This was despite them being listed as in network on my insurance company's website. Typical. It worked out well though, because I switched to university hospital care soon afterwards.
Happy to answer any questions people might have.
Last edited by Rose tea; May 31st 2014 at 3:35 pm.
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Having a baby in the USA: our experience
Congratulations!
The experience sounded good, I think the midwife option keeps intervention down.
The experience sounded good, I think the midwife option keeps intervention down.
#3
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,966
Re: Having a baby in the USA: our experience
Thanks for the info... just found out I'm 7 weeks pregnant with first bub so this is useful. Wow you are lucky you have such amazing insurance. I think my first ultrasound will cost me more than your whole pregnancy.
#4
Re: Having a baby in the USA: our experience
My wife is due to have our baby in November (her second). To be honest, as soon as she told me we get a steak and a glass of champagne after the delivery, I've sort of zoned out everything else LOL.
#5
Re: Having a baby in the USA: our experience
Congrats!
Glad it went well
I think I posted our experience of one of the bobetts flailings at some point.
Glad it went well
I think I posted our experience of one of the bobetts flailings at some point.
#6
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Thread Starter
Joined: May 2011
Location: New Mexico, USA
Posts: 231
Re: Having a baby in the USA: our experience
#10
Re: Having a baby in the USA: our experience
Otherwise, most often, there isn't choice. Then again, some of that choice is limited to what your state allows.
Really, you need to stop taking all these health threads off track with your rants of NHS shit, USA god and that those of us that are actually here and using it not knowing what we're talking about because it gets very, very tiresome :/
#11
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: Having a baby in the USA: our experience
Granted, it was limitless, as many as I could eat sandwiches, but sandwiches nonetheless. Oh, I did get one hot meal the day of the birth but it wasn't steak
Congrats, by the way, Rose Tea.
#12
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Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Herts to CA for nearly 10 years and now MD
Posts: 351
Re: Having a baby in the USA: our experience
I thought that we had pretty good insurance and all I got was a cup of apple juice and some ice chips (which I then promptly threw up).
#13
Re: Having a baby in the USA: our experience
The husband did bring champagne to my room afterwards--in those days I think there was a no-alcohol rule in the hospital, so he had to smuggle it in--but I could only have one sip before I felt quite nauseated.
Can't believe there is steak & champers now served in an American hospital but I suppose I'm behind the times...
Last edited by WEBlue; Jun 5th 2014 at 4:24 pm.
#14
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: Having a baby in the USA: our experience
That's about how I felt. I certainly didn't want a steak dinner after giving birth 25 years ago. Maybe a week later, but not soon after....
The husband did bring champagne to my room afterwards--in those days I think there was a no-alcohol rule in the hospital, so he had to smuggle it in--but I could only have one sip before I felt quite nauseated.
Can't believe there is steak & champers now served in a hospital but I suppose I'm behind the times...
The husband did bring champagne to my room afterwards--in those days I think there was a no-alcohol rule in the hospital, so he had to smuggle it in--but I could only have one sip before I felt quite nauseated.
Can't believe there is steak & champers now served in a hospital but I suppose I'm behind the times...
#15
"Ignore Imbecile replies"
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 341
Re: Having a baby in the USA: our experience
I've seen people post about this before so I thought I'd add our experience to the pool.
I discovered I was pregnant last summer with my first child, and I was able to get maternity care starting at 5 weeks pregnant. I work for a university and part of their health insurance plan includes access to all the university hospital's services at little to no additional cost. All of my maternity care, from checkups to blood tests to ultrasounds, was $0 copay. So, cost of all maternity services from 0 - 9 months, including two trips to the ER for obstetric patients: $8, and that was for a prescription.
I was given the option by my clinic to see a midwife or an OB, and I chose a midwife because my pregnancy was low risk with no complications. I was very happy with my midwife care. It was very low intervention and I had very few tests and procedures. I gave birth at the university hospital, whose labour and delivery ward is run by midwives. The hospital has a low c-section rate and a low epidural rate and does not perform elective c-sections or elective inductions, which appealed to me, and the only intervention I had during labour was a saline drip and some monitoring of the baby's heartbeat. Everything else, I could choose to ask for if I wanted it.
For triage, delivery and room and board, the amount billed to insurance was just over $6,000. Our cost is going to be about $950. I didn't have an epidural so that reduced the cost I'm sure. I'm frugal to the end We chose to hire a doula for the birth, which, as some people here may know, is a non-medical support person who helps with the birth and the postnatal period. They're quite common in our state and our hospital was very welcoming to her. It was a really busy day at L&D so she was great for support when the midwife was rushing in and out so much. The cost for her services was $800 and she was worth every penny.
I was extremely happy with the quality of my prenatal care, hospital care, and postnatal care. My advice is to shop around for maternity care and make sure to double check what's covered and what's not; I found a great clinic at the start who told me at the end of our conversation, "You do know that we're out of network for you, right?" This was despite them being listed as in network on my insurance company's website. Typical. It worked out well though, because I switched to university hospital care soon afterwards.
Happy to answer any questions people might have.
I discovered I was pregnant last summer with my first child, and I was able to get maternity care starting at 5 weeks pregnant. I work for a university and part of their health insurance plan includes access to all the university hospital's services at little to no additional cost. All of my maternity care, from checkups to blood tests to ultrasounds, was $0 copay. So, cost of all maternity services from 0 - 9 months, including two trips to the ER for obstetric patients: $8, and that was for a prescription.
I was given the option by my clinic to see a midwife or an OB, and I chose a midwife because my pregnancy was low risk with no complications. I was very happy with my midwife care. It was very low intervention and I had very few tests and procedures. I gave birth at the university hospital, whose labour and delivery ward is run by midwives. The hospital has a low c-section rate and a low epidural rate and does not perform elective c-sections or elective inductions, which appealed to me, and the only intervention I had during labour was a saline drip and some monitoring of the baby's heartbeat. Everything else, I could choose to ask for if I wanted it.
For triage, delivery and room and board, the amount billed to insurance was just over $6,000. Our cost is going to be about $950. I didn't have an epidural so that reduced the cost I'm sure. I'm frugal to the end We chose to hire a doula for the birth, which, as some people here may know, is a non-medical support person who helps with the birth and the postnatal period. They're quite common in our state and our hospital was very welcoming to her. It was a really busy day at L&D so she was great for support when the midwife was rushing in and out so much. The cost for her services was $800 and she was worth every penny.
I was extremely happy with the quality of my prenatal care, hospital care, and postnatal care. My advice is to shop around for maternity care and make sure to double check what's covered and what's not; I found a great clinic at the start who told me at the end of our conversation, "You do know that we're out of network for you, right?" This was despite them being listed as in network on my insurance company's website. Typical. It worked out well though, because I switched to university hospital care soon afterwards.
Happy to answer any questions people might have.
Probably our first and only. How do I go about shopping around? We will be in California. Love your post and so grateful that someone has finally put on here one of my concerns.