HOME BIRTH

hi there im in nz and we are moving to aussie before this baby is born (due november) and i really wanted to have my baby at home- in nz this is free, and they highly recomend it. but i want to know the price of having a baby at home, in melbourne. ive searched EVERYWHERE and cant find any thing about the costs. could someone please help me out here??
thank you so much in advance smile

It probably doesn't help much but they do it free in the st george area of sydney - through the hospital...if you have a choice about where you move that might help you get what you want - if not you would most likely have to get a private midwife and they have their own costs involved so you need to contact them individually. If its any help - melbourne hospitals have a system that once your baby is born they transfer you to a 5* hotel in the city for your recouperation - there is a midwife on the floor and its like a mini holiday - I'd do it just for that!!!

Hi,

Not sure about Melbourne but in Sydney I was charged $4000 that included all pre nantal check ups (at my home) using the birth pool, the birth itself than 6weeks after. She was on call 24/7 as well.

Some other midwifes that I enquired about were charging around $2000 just depends on the midwife really and always check what that includes to make sure you arent slammed with a bill somewhere down the track.

Best $4000 I have spent in my life smile

thanks girls, guess itll be a case of ringing around and checking when we get there. hopefully in the next 15weeks!!!

how exciting!!

these midwives are based in melbourne.
http://www.midwivesnaturally.com.au/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

hi I'm having my baby through the casey hopital, in Berwick melbourne, if you are low risk you can go with them and my middy offered me a home birth (this is not for me, I have my own reasons) and I'm pretty sure it would be free just like birthing at the hospital it would be covered by Medicare. it is a public hospital.

what area of Melbourne are you moving to? Berwick is in the south eastern suburbs.

thank you so much ladies, this is giving me hope that i will get the birth i want!! at the moment we are looking at South Morang- about 25km north of melbourne city and the local hospital is northen health i think.

I had my son at home in Melbourne (northern suburbs) two years ago, and from memory it cost around $4000, but well worth it! Went with Midwives Naturally who were fantastic. They have a fee schedule on their website to help you work it out. That included pool hire as well.
It is frustrating when you come from NZ where it is all free (my daughter was born in a home waterbirth in Dunedin last year), but in Australia you get the baby bonus so I think it probably evens out!

well if you moved to Western Australia instead of Melbourne.... it's free. The government has a homebirth program called Community Midwifery Western Australia. I'm having my 2nd homebirth in October.