Nothing in life is free. Everything has a cost. Even if it's sold to you as being free, somebody is paying. It's not always a financial cost, though. Sometimes it's things that are much more impactful than finances. After a few weeks of looking at insurance from all kinds of different angles and thinking about what it means to have our care dictated by these corporations, we now need to take a little bit of a pivot and start thinking about the actual cost to you, no matter which way you choose.

​We're gonna talk about that today. Let's dive in.

You've heard that home is where the heart is, and that's true. Home is also where the family is. Home is what's familiar. Home is where your normal bacterial environment is. God puts a lot of emphasis on family and home in the Bible as being the central point of our existence.

In Proverbs 24:3-4, we read:
"By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."

Now, is that just talking about piling up money? No. There are so many riches in the love, the warmth, and the peace that we find in our home environment.

Earlier, in Deuteronomy 6:6-9, we read:
"These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk, when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead."

These are all concepts we are able to teach freely in our own homes, whereas out in the world we can't always do that. In our homes, we can control our environment and teach our children the things they need to know.

Joshua 24:14-15 reminds us:
"Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river and in Egypt. And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

​In your house, in your home, you and your family can decide who you're gonna serve and how you're gonna live.

In the Bible, we don't read of moms leaving to go to facilities to give birth because there were none. There wasn't even an option.

Exodus 1:15-20 shows us how midwives were known for doing the right thing in the face of governmental pressure:
"Then the King of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, Shira and Pua… When you help the Hebrew women to give birth, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death. But the midwives feared God and did not do as the King commanded them, but let the boys live. Therefore, God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty."

We see midwives attending women in their homes, pushing back against harmful directives, and being blessed for it. Historically, if midwives weren’t available, experienced women in the community would step in to support labor in the home.

​Episode 36 of this podcast discusses where God intended for women to give birth, highlighting that technology and interventions are not always better just because they are new.

You might have heard the term "opportunity cost." It’s what you give up by choosing one thing over another. In birth, it’s the experience you miss in one location or situation when you choose another.

Choosing Home Birth:
You avoid leaving home during labor (no painful car ride)
You miss strangers, machines beeping, and unnecessary interventions
You have peace and control over your environment
You can keep God at the forefront of your birth

Choosing Hospital Birth:
You gain access to professionals and interventions if truly needed
You give up the peace and tranquility of your home
You may miss the natural flow of labor, unrestricted movement, and eating/drinking freely
​Your baby may experience overstimulation and less bonding at birth

The cost isn’t always financial. Yes, home birth can seem expensive upfront if insurance doesn’t cover it. But think long-term:
Money spent on a home birth creates memories and experiences you’ll never forget
Hospital interventions can lead to lifelong health issues for moms and babies, costing far more down the line
Formula feeding due to disrupted breastfeeding can exceed the cost of a home birth
​Pelvic floor damage, C-sections, or NICU stays are indirect financial costs caused by unnecessary interventions

Hospital interventions can affect:
Pelvic floor health (incontinence, long-term procedures)
Gut health due to unnecessary antibiotics
Birth trauma leading to mental health challenges
Babies’ health, bonding, and breastfeeding establishment

​Unnecessary interventions, even when applied to low-risk mothers, can have lifelong consequences. It’s not about the rare cases where interventions are truly needed—it’s about avoiding those applied without medical necessity.