where do you live there are some states where licensed midwives can accept mediaid payment (medi-cal in california) and it;s possible to find a barter arrangement with someone.

remember that some of the labs and stuff that will cost you out of pocket are relaly optional...you don't NEED routine ultrasound, and I'm not a big believer in prenatal testing such as amniocentesis. there are 'old school" natural birth midwives out there who trained before all this stuff became routine.

incidentally waivers for acts that aren't legal (such as practicing midwifery without a license) don;t have any legal stad=nding anyway. I honestly feel that in an home birth situation, it has to be buil on mutual trust and unerstanding. my then-husband said something abut the contract i ahd with our home birth midwives - this was before non CNMs were licensed - saying that it was unenforceable since they weren;t legally icensed to practice. i said it would still be the height of uncooperative behavoior to refuse to pay on the gorunds hat it wasn't a legal contract anyway.

it's not illegal to hlp someone out in apinch (otherwise the eMts, police officers, cab dribers, and passersy who assist at precipituous births in pubic would be criminals)but I think it;s important to remember that no one :deiers" someone else's baby. maybe in the days of women being routinely knowcked out and babies routinely dragged out with forceps (this is what it was ike when i was born - there wre moms using natural childbirth methods and ven some birthing at home, but...no my dear mother.

but anyway...I think hat as the pregnant mom, yu need to explore and find what YOU are the most conortable doing to make or own nest.