It's not an edge case: we were quoted that price a few years ago. We carry high deductible insurance, and that was before the recent US health care legislation mandated maternity coverage. (Before it passed, most insurers refused to provide maternity coverage outside of large groups, or charged insane prices, since the probability of a claim was so high.)
In the end, we opted for homebirth midwifery care, which was fantastic in every way. We ended up paying around $2k for six months of prepartum care, delivery, and six weeks of postpartum care. In the event of an emergency, insurance would've covered a hospital transfer.
It was such a good experience we did the same thing for #2, and we're planning on delivering at home if we have more children in the future.
In the end, we opted for homebirth midwifery care, which was fantastic in every way. We ended up paying around $2k for six months of prepartum care, delivery, and six weeks of postpartum care. In the event of an emergency, insurance would've covered a hospital transfer.
It was such a good experience we did the same thing for #2, and we're planning on delivering at home if we have more children in the future.