I am 12 weeks pregnant (and SO excited!!) with our first baby. My husband has a job that doesn't offer health insurance and I am self employed so to purchase health insurance, especially because I have, at least according to health care providers, a pre-exsisting condition from years ago to purchase health care and pay the copay and 20% or more would not be feasible at this point. Luckily, we qualify for California's state health care program Medi-Cal just for the pregnancy, not after. 

I want more than anything to give birth in a birth center or even at home (water preferable) but there's no way we can afford to pay outright for a Midwife or even a Doula to help. It is near impossible to find information finding what Medi-Cal covers but every Midwife I've called doesn't except Medi-Cal and says it's likely no one else does because the state doesn't compensate Midwifes. I've called the state office and they won't help. I have a doctor now but I'd so much rather not have a baby in a hospital if I don't have to. 

Does anyone have any info on getting a Midwife in the L.A. area that does take Medi-Cal or any other options? If we could afford it I would pay out of pocket for one in an instant but it's not a possibility at the moment.

Congratulations!

Have you asked the midwifes you have talked to if they would consider a sliding scale?

Have you asked the midwife if they are able to do a payment plan with you? To spread out the cost?

What about a fundraiser? Instead of asking friends for new baby items, ask for used items and have them donate $$ to your homebirth fund.

Could you take out a loan (if you know that you would be able to pay it back)

I dont know your money situation but are there things that you can do without that will pay for the midwife? For example. Cable? a cell phone instead of an iphone? Eating at home instead of eating out? No morning cup of coffee at Starbucks. 

Are there other sacrfices that you can make? My husband and I met with our midwife about a year ago (We are currently TTC) and the midwife made a great point, most women spend a year if not more and large amount of money on planning their wedding, yet they rarely think about planning their childs birth.

Have you thought about hiring a doula for the day of your birth? That way even if you end up in the hospital, you will have someone there to support your birthplan?

Wishing you the best of luck.

I agree, call midwives.  My midwife said that she never turns away anyone because of money. I think she would have let us pay over a lifetime if that's what we needed to do!

Where you able to find a midwife. Oddly, today even though I am very far from having children I was curious about my options for the future after watching Pregnant In America. And I found that you can use Certified Nurse-Midwives in Southern California and Medi-Cal will cover it. You may have to deliver in a hospital though, but you would still be primarily in the care of your midwife unless a problem arises that the midwife cannot take care of. Go to this site: http://www.socalbirth.com/providers/cnmhosp.html  

Check out http://naturallyborn.net/ they have a big directory of birth centers and midwives. I found a midwife that took medical on there. It seems like midiwfe only pays for CNM's or Certfied Nurse Midiwives. There was only one CNM in my area (N California) and she ended up being great. I'm pretty sure yo have to be a CNM to work in a birth center so they should take medical. Good luck!