How to Pay for Having a Baby? Insurance with Maternity Coverage? Other Options?

Homebirth is probably the cheapest way to go (even out-of-pocket) ...as there would be no "facillity fee", as with a birth center. That is what got us last time, even when we had insurance that paid for almost everything else. Independent midwives seem like a flexible bunch...mine will do payment plans. I imagine there are others who will as well.
Experienced midwives also know a bit about billing issues, and which insurance companies are more generous. Good luck!

I had crappy insurance through an employer (and then Cobra), which only paid 60% of my blood tests and ultrasound (cost me over $300 out of pocket just for those), then I switched to a midwife for a home birth. I paid $1800 to my midwife (included all prenatals, the birth, visits after, her assistant midwife, and she would have covered my blood test too), and maybe another $50 for birthing supplies. Obviously midwife prices do vary, but they are definitely cheaper if you do it at home. Since you already had your first at a natural birthing center, think about a home birth. It was wonderful, I am so glad that we did it. For insurance, I did look at private insurance, and every one had a $5000 maternity deductible, so you will be paying at least that for insurance that isn't through an employer.

blue cross paid 60% on my midwife and birth center. But I think we got lucky. Usuallyit is less. It still ended up costing us $2500. BUT it was so worth it!! All three times (lol)
-C.

We have Blue Cross Anthem HMO....which paid for the maternity care and birth, but NOTHING towards conception....all $150,000 of it. THAT all came out of pocket and we paid as we went. Never could do 3-4 IVF cycles in one year like so many so it took many years, but my husband refused to go into debt and take out a second mortgage or a loan. I'm glad we did it that way. It's how we do everything....pay cash, even for a new car. If we don't have the money, we don't do it. I guess my answer would be to save up the amount of money you'll need, beyond what your insurance covers. All policies vary, so you need to see which one covers the most of what you need. (A friend was pg with twins the same time I was. We went to the same OB....I paid nothing. She had a PPO. We both went to a peri....she went once because it cost her over $500....I went several times because I only paid for a DVD. Otherwise, I paid a $5 copay. Big difference in what our insurances covered).

I had anthem blue cross and they paid for my home birth & midwife like it was out of network coverage. The whole birth was $6000 and insurance covered $4000, so it actually cost the same out of pocket as the hospital. When I had a hospital birth (naturally but in the hospital) it was $18,000 and I still paid $2000 out of pocket (after deductible, non-covered items, etc.) I think birth centers charge a little more than home birth