How Much Does A Home Birth Midwife Cost in Metro Atlanta?

By Jill Snelson, CPM

One of the first practical questions families ask me about home birth is:

“Okay, but how much does this actually cost?”

And that is a completely reasonable question.

Unfortunately, there isn't one universal price for home birth in Georgia. Every midwifery practice structures care a little differently, and what is included in one midwife's fee may be an additional expense with another.

So when you're comparing prices, I encourage you not to look at the number alone.

Ask what you're actually getting for that number.

What are you paying for with home birth midwifery care?

Home birth care isn't simply paying someone to show up when you're in labor.

When you hire a home birth midwife, you're hiring someone to walk with you through your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period.

At Charis, that includes comprehensive prenatal care, your home birth, postpartum care, newborn care, and the availability that comes with knowing that when labor starts—whether that's Tuesday afternoon or 2:14 in the morning—your midwife is on call for you.

You're also paying for something that is a little harder to put on an invoice: time.

Prenatal visits with a midwife tend to leave room for actual conversation. We talk about nutrition, symptoms, fears, previous experiences, your baby's position, what you're learning, what you're worried about, and what you need in order to feel prepared.

I don't want to know only your blood pressure and fundal height.

I want to know you.

What does home birth cost at Charis?

The current global fee for midwifery care with Charis Birth & Wellness is $6,500.

A payment plan is available because I know that $6,500 is real money for a family. You do not have to hand me a giant check the day you decide to hire me.

There may also be expenses outside the global fee, depending on your individual care. These can include things such as certain laboratory tests, ultrasounds, medications, birth supplies, or services performed by another provider.

We go over those things clearly so you aren't six months into care wondering what exactly you signed up for.

Does insurance pay for home birth?

Sometimes.

And sometimes the answer is essentially, “Well... sort of.”

Insurance coverage for out-of-hospital maternity care varies dramatically by company and by plan. Charis is a self-pay practice and does not bill insurance directly, but families may choose to submit appropriate documentation to their insurance company for possible reimbursement.

I always recommend finding out what your individual policy covers rather than assuming that because one friend's insurance reimbursed her home birth, yours will too.

Health-sharing plans are their own category as well, and reimbursement can vary from plan to plan.

Is home birth cheaper than a hospital birth?

That depends on what you're comparing.

The sticker price for midwifery care may be substantially less than the total charges associated with pregnancy and hospital birth, but insurance benefits, deductibles, copays, facility fees, and individual circumstances make a simple dollar-for-dollar comparison difficult.

I think there's a better question:

What kind of care are you paying for?

If what you want is longer visits, continuity of care, individualized education, physiologic birth support, postpartum care in your home, and a provider who knows you well before she ever walks through your door in labor, those things have value too.

Don't choose your midwife based on price alone

I mean that in both directions.

The most expensive midwife is not automatically the best midwife for you.

The least expensive midwife isn't automatically a bargain.

Ask questions.

Ask what is included. Ask what isn't. Ask about experience. Ask about emergencies. Ask about hospital transfer. Ask about backup coverage. Ask about postpartum care. Ask what happens if your pregnancy develops a complication.

And maybe most importantly, ask yourself:

Do I trust this person to sit beside me on one of the most vulnerable days of my life?

Choosing a midwife is a big decision.

The goal isn't simply to find a midwife.

It's to find the right midwife for your family.

Considering home birth in Metro Atlanta?
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