With a little bit of creativity and a little bit of sacrifice, most people are able to come up with the means to pay for the birth they want. Remember, you’re not just paying for a midwife: you’re paying for a philosophy of care that puts your needs, desires, and experience as the top priority. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Request help with midwife fee in lieu of gifts at a shower
- Ask for help with the midwife fee in lieu of birthday or Christmas gifts
- Sell stuff you don’t need: garage sale, craigslist, Ebay, consignment shops, etc.
- Sell things you make: knit/crochet, cards, paper crafts, etc.
- Sell services you can provide: housecleaning, babysitting, sewing, cooking, etc.
- Set up a gofundme type account
- use your tax return
- Give up some luxuries for a time: limit Starbucks, eating out, gaming purchases, new makeup or new clothing purchases and put that money into the midwife fund
- Consider taking out a small personal loan with your bank or putting the fee on a low or no interest credit card. This will give you the flexibility of paying the balance down over a longer time