“So you had a home birth, huh? Was it hard? Is it safe? Are you crazy? How much does a home birth cost, anyways?”
I don’t tackle medical questions here on this website, but I talk a lot about family finances, like freezer meals for new moms, and how much diapers cost. I also can address the topic of home birth costs pretty well, since I recently had a home birth myself. (You can read my story on Made For This Birth, if you’re into reading birth stories).
Because I’m just one person however, I reached out to home birth groups and individual families all over the country to find out how much their home births cost. Here’s what I found out.
So how much does a home birth cost?
The average price families pay for a home birth is $4,115, according to my survey of 282 families. Costs did vary by region of the US, with families in the Midwest paying the least, and those in the Southwest paying almost a thousand more, on average.
The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health published a great study on the cost of home birth in the US, which is worth a read. But their research focused on asking midwives what they charge for home births, not what home births actually cost families. The difference is subtle, but important. Families can submit claims for reimbursement with their insurance companies after the birth, get discounts, or barter with the midwife. And all of these can affect the final price parents pay. Because my site focuses on the average family and their bank account, not national policies on health, I wanted to help the average Jane know what to expect.
I surveyed 282 women in the US and got responses from women in all states except Nebraska (where home birth is functionally illegal), Mississippi, and South Dakota. I looked at what they paid out of pocket for their home birth, what type of midwife assisted them, whether their midwife offered any types of discounts, and whether they attempted to get reimbursed by their insurance.
When those researchers surveyed the midwives, they came to a national average of $4650 as an average midwife’s fee. But my average of how much families paid was $4115. Let’s look at why those numbers don’t line up.
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What’s included in a midwife’s fee?
The average midwife charges a ‘universal fee’ which generally includes all prenatal appointments, labor and delivery, 6 weeks of postpartum care, and unlimited access via email, text and/or call during the entire scope of care. Most do not include blood lab work, ultrasounds, a birth kit, or other medical testing. Some include extras like birth pool rentals, supplements, or access to a lending library of educational books or movies. The exact services a midwife charges for are as varied as the costs, so be sure to ask what’s included in your midwife’s service fee!
I know the price of a home birth can give many people sticker shock and sends them immediately into cost-saving mode. But your midwife is responsible for keeping you and your child safe. They’ve had extensive training and likely years of experience to develop this set of skills. All of these are reasons to pay them what they’re worth! Many are willing to work with you if you need a payment plan.
Home birth discounts and alternative arrangements
Over the course of my research, I noticed many midwives offered some types of discount. Some of these were percentage discounts (10% off), a dollar amount, or structured as a sliding scale based on income. Here’s a list of all the reasons mothers said their midwife offered them a reduced fee:
- Having prenatal appts at midwife’s preferred location (either in an office or at the family’s home)
- First responder/military
- Repeat customer
- Paid in cash
- “Financial need” (Mother was on medicaid, food stamps, or disclosed the family’s income)
- Paid in full without need for a payment plan
- Family & friends discount
- Transferred to midwife care late into pregnancy (and so didn’t need as many prenatal visits)
Some mothers also reported bartering services with the midwife for a partial or full amount of her fee. So if you have any skills a midwife might genuinely need (website development, marketing, vehicle maintenance, bookkeeping, dental care for her family, etc), or physical objects to offer in trade, you might be able to come to an arrangement.
Finally, while this isn’t technically a discount, many midwives will accept HSA or FSA as payment. As these are funds taken out of your paycheck before taxes, it does slightly lower the overall cost.
Will my insurance cover a home birth?
This is the big question. Generally, insurances don’t usually cover home births. However, there are exceptions. Some insurances will pay for part of the costs associated with a midwife’s fee, like prenatal and postnatal care, bloodwork, and ultrasounds. In addition, some healthshare ministries will cover 100% of the costs associated with a home birth since they reduce overall maternity costs. Additionally, in some states (like Alaska), medicaid programs will cover a substantial amount of midwife fees, too.
Most of the women surveyed declined to even submit paperwork to their insurance companies. They assumed it would be too much of a hassle or headache to fight with the insurance company. With a newborn to wrangle, I understand the hesitation. I myself spent a few hours on the phone with my insurance company and submitted multiple invoices to no avail.
Home birth costs by state
Here’s a breakdown of all the data I was able to compile over the course of my research. All these amounts are the actual costs paid by families for home births between the years 2016-2021. As you can see, some states had very limited data. This is why I prefer to look at the costs on a region by region basis, as seen in the visual above. But if you’re still curious, here are the lowest , highest, and median prices paid, and the number of respondents for every state. Sorry, Mississippi, Nebraska, and South Dakota!
| State | Lowest Price | Median price | Highest Price | No. of respondents |
| Alabama | $3000 | $3550 | $5500 | 4 |
| Alaska | $0 | $2400 | $4500 | 3 |
| Arizona | $2000 | $3000 | $5000 | 13 |
| Arkansas | $2500 | $2750 | $4300 | 4 |
| California | $0 | $5500 | $8000 | 18 |
| Colorado | $1000 | $3000 | $4500 | 6 |
| Connecticut | $0 | $3250 | $4850 | 5 |
| Deleware | $4500 | $4500 | $4500 | 1 |
| Florida | $4500 | $5500 | $6500 | 8 |
| Georgia | $2700 | $3800 | $4800 | 9 |
| Hawaii | $4500 | $4500 | $5000 | 3 |
| Idaho | $2600 | $4400 | $5000 | 4 |
| Illinois | $4500 | $4615 | $5000 | 3 |
| Indiana | $2500 | $4000 | $4400 | 5 |
| Iowa | $4900 | $5250 | $5500 | 4 |
| Kansas | $3250 | $3800 | $4500 | 6 |
| Kentucky | $2300 | $2500 | $3000 | 3 |
| Louisiana | $5000 | $5000 | $5000 | 2 |
| Maine | $2500 | $3600 | $5500 | 17 |
| Maryland | $2500 | $5000 | $5500 | 9 |
| Massachusetts | $4500 | $4750 | $5700 | 4 |
| Michigan | $2500 | $3850 | $5500 | 10 |
| Minnesota | $4000 | $4800 | $4800 | 3 |
| Mississippi | 0 | |||
| Missouri | $3000 | $3500 | $4800 | 4 |
| Montana | $3800 | $4500 | $4950 | 5 |
| Nebraska | 0 | |||
| Nevada | $3500 | $3800 | $4000 | 3 |
| New Hampshire | $2600 | $3900 | $4500 | 4 |
| New Jersey | $4000 | $5250 | $6500 | 2 |
| New Mexico | $7500 | $7500 | $7500 | 1 |
| New York | $3000 | $4550 | $8000 | 12 |
| North Carolina | $2500 | $4200 | $5500 | 6 |
| North Dakota | $1000 | $2650 | $4300 | 2 |
| Ohio | $0 | $2800 | $5000 | 13 |
| Oklahoma | $2500 | $3750 | $4500 | 6 |
| Oregon | $800 | $4000 | $5250 | 9 |
| Pennsylvania | $1500 | $2500 | $3500 | 6 |
| Rhode Island | $3000 | $3900 | $5000 | 4 |
| South Carolina | $5000 | $5000 | $5000 | 3 |
| South Dakota | $5000 | $5000 | $5000 | 1 |
| Tennessee | $3500 | $4100 | $5750 | 10 |
| Texas | $500 | $4500 | $10,000 | 19 |
| Utah | $300 | $2900 | $3500 | 4 |
| Vermont | $4000 | $4000 | $4000 | 1 |
| Virginia | $500 | $3500 | $9500 (twins) | 5 |
| Washington | $500 | $3500 | $4500 | 11 |
| West Virginia | $3500 | $3500 | $3500 | 1 |
| Wisconsin | $700 | $2400 | $3500 | 4 |
| Wyoming | $2500 | $4000 | $5500 | 2 |
| Washington, D.C | $4800 | $5000 | $5000 | 3 |
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