Double Digits

99 Days to go.... Only double digits now! I remember looking at the ticker when there were 105 days left thinking that it would soon be double digits time, but it feels like that was only yesterday-literally!

99 Days and we have no idea where we're having this child.

We found out last week that hubby's insurance (which we switched to this month since I no longer am employed) will not pay for the birthing center fee. $2000. $2000 we don't have. We anticipated paying about $840 since his insurance book stated that they cover 80% and we're responsible for 20% (and the fee for the midwives and center comes to $4200 altogether). Which is also what they inadvertently quoted me when I asked for an estimate of my costs (the midwives want payment up front so we're supposed to get an estimate before the baby is born). When I pushed for further clarification of "80% of the allowed amount" I was told, in red type, that they do not cover freestanding birthing centers. Then the midwives' office spent 40 minutes on the phone with them only to find that, yes, they will not pay. Which is absurd. They were also told that the midwives' fees would be paid 100% (which is NOT in the literature I received, so I rather doubt that).

Now what?

Most likely, a hospital birth will be cheaper. But I don't want another hospital birth. I switched to this practice in December because I was thrilled to have another shot at a waterbirth, and a chance to have an unmedicalized labor and birth.

There is another birthing center in Connecticut that is part of a hospital, kind of. They bill under the hospital so if I switched to them, it's very likely their fees would be covered. AND the hospital-attached-birthing center is actually half as far away as the childbirth center I planned on using, so logically, I should be considering it. But I also don't want to switch practices again. I just switched 2 months ago, and I like the group I'm with, even if they aren't local.

We have no idea what we're doing at this point. All I know is something that I'm supposed to be eagerly awaiting has become something I'm dreading. How awful is it that insurance companies have so much say in the level of care we receive, especially in a case where they're actually refusing to pay the smaller fee. Absurd!

Sick!

How is it I spent my last pregnancy healthier than usual, and this one I keep getting sick. :( I feel like someone ran razor blades down my throat while I was sleeping, and I have a lovely collection of snot stuck in my sinuses. Wonderful. I also have 2 parties this weekend, so the timing could not be worse. I think I'm staying home today, which would change it from 15 work days left to 14....

I also have an appointment tomorrow at a freestanding birthing center. Hopefully I will feel well enough to attend. It's a tour and a talk with one of the three midwives who run the center. I really wanted a water birth with Maggie, but Brian was not open to a homebirth (still is not) and the hospital where I delivered only allowed you to labor in the tub - and only if they could keep the baby's heartbeat on the mobile monitoring equipment (which they could not). I have a long list of questions to ensure that I will qualify as low risk, and therefore be able to use the birthing center. It's about as far away as the hospital where I had Margaret, but I like the idea of not being chained to the place for days afterwards and less interventions. At this point, I'd be happy to just stay home until the day this baby comes. I've had enough of the medical community and I really don't need them giving me contradictory advice every 4 weeks, and having to drag myself out to their office every 4 weeks for a pee test, fetal heart monitoring (which I can do at home), and a Q&A session (during which I have no questions). It's a waste of my time. So we'll see how this goes. I have high hopes that this will work out! Especially with the changes in insurance coming up...

...it turns out that the costs for DH's High Option insurance plan have increased $120/month. So instead of $50/week, it will be roughly $80/week - of which we are currently spending $0 since I get health insurance from my employer for $14/week, and it's far superior insurance. Now we're stuck with Low Option, which only covers 80% of costs. 80%. How crappy is that? $20 copays for doctors visits, they don't even cover all of well-baby visits (still 80%), and I'm not even sure if we can go to the Medical Walk In Center with his plan. I'm also not sure if they'll consider me a pre-existing condition and blackout coverage for me. DH won't ask. Wouldn't that be a wonderful addition to the situation?! SIGH.