Research shows that pregnancy, labor, and delivery for a healthy woman is as safe with a nurse-midwife as with a physician. Studies have also shown that the rate of Cesarean sections, episiotomies, infant and maternal mortality, and low birth weight are often much lower than average among women being cared for by a nurse-midwife. In fact, government reports have called for an increased use of nurse-midwives as a safe way to improve maternity care. Having your baby with a nurse-midwife usually costs less than obstetrical care with a physician in a hospital. The least expensive is usually a home birth, which may cost a fraction of the price of a hospital birth.
Birth centers fall somewhere in the middle.
All 50 states provide Medicaid reimbursement for nurse-midwifery care, regardless of whether the birth ocurs in a hospital, birth center, or home. In 26 states, insurers are required to reimburse for nurse-midwifery care, although not necessarily in all possible birth settings. Use our customized Lycos search to linkthink your way around the web, or feel free to consult the experts about the above topic. All rights reserved. All rights reserved.