With more people giving birth at home, new laws make it easier
“I felt like I was in control of everything and she was there to listen to what I needed from her,” Jones said.
The only downside, from Jones’ perspective, was that her insurance didn’t cover home births attended by a midwife as an in-network service. Jones paid about $5,500 out-of-pocket.
Home births surged nationally during the pandemic. In Montana, they accounted for 2.85% of all births in 2021, behind Idaho’s nation-leading 3.56% but still the sixth-highest rate in the country. Women who choose home births say they can provide a more familiar setting and a more natural experience than a hospital birth, along with the greater control cited by Jones. Doctors say hospital births are generally safer, but that home births can also be a safe choice for many low-risk pregnancies.
Montana’s Republican-dominated Legislature this year moved to support home births with a measure requiring they be covered by Medicaid and another that expands the types of drugs midwives can administer. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bills into law in April.
Montana Republicans touted the moves as evidence of their commitment to women and families at a time when they were passing strict abortion limits. Since the legislative session ended in May, Gianforte has signed into law bills limiting abortion access, including a ban on dilation and evacuation procedures after 15 weeks. The governor also extended postpartum care for new mothers on Medicaid to 12 months in the state budget, and approved an adoption tax credit.