in our north american culture, most women find themselves birthing on a hospital bed, under bright lights and with a team ready for any emergency that may arise. another celebrity has recently paved the way for more women to trust the concept of homebirth.
gisele bundchen, a brazilian model, comes from a culture where most women elect for a cesarean birth. instead, gisele chose to give birth at home, in water. read about her story here.
may this story inspire you and those you know. may we as a mass consciousness relearn to trust the process of birth, just like our ancestors did. may we find more birthing pools in hospitals, more cushions, more support. . .less lighting, less distracting sounds, less intervention and ultimately, less fear.
The video is kind of lukewarm on water birth while the article is more supportive. Sadly, it does seem that insurance dictates what we may choose to do. What are our options if insurance won't cover births outside the hospital?
ReplyDeletewell, some insurance plans will reimburse you for midwifery care. this does mean that you have to pay upfront for the birth. your average homebirth will cost you $4000, which includes all of your prenatal and postnatal visits.
ReplyDeletein los angeles, the other route some women take is to birth in the hospital with the ucla midwives. kaiser also has a team of midwives. the usc downtown hospital has also adopted a midwifery approach and is a great alternative for women on a budget.
ultimately, we the consumer must demand from our insurance companies more options and choice. and yes, that won't happen overnight.