In these tough economic times, we're all looking to cut costs any way possible. For some new parents that even means taking an alternative approach to childbirth.

Sisters-in-law Michel Oltman and Melissa Long are both proud mothers of beautiful baby girls. But they took very different paths to motherhood.

"When I gave birth to her in the hospital, I didn't have a C-section, she was totally natural, I didn't have any drugs. But it still cost a lot," says Oltman. "Let me put it this way, she's almost walking and I'm still paying."

Long counters, "We delivered in my room. It was very laid back and it's a lot cheaper."

Try four thousand dollars cheaper. All told, including prenatal and post-birth care, Long says she paid just $1,500, while Oltman's hospital birth cost around $5,500.

"They do charge you for everything," says Oltman. "Every thing of formula that you need, everything that's in your room that you use, they do bill you for."

Oltman says the next time around she'll consider giving birth at home. She says, "We could pay all this money and do the exact same thing in the hospital, or we could do it in a more relaxed environment, which I would like, for a lot less money."

And more relaxed does not mean less safe.

"People think it's this woman who comes and is just there to catch the baby, whereas they're really not. She's doing all the stuff the doctors do. They check your urine, they check your blood pressure," says Long.

If something does go wrong, midwives have back up plans to make sure your baby stays safe and for any mother that's the true bottom line.

"We wanted her in the worst way, we would pay anything," says Oltman.

"It's priceless, as she cries!" Long adds.

Midwives do have to go through training to prepare for all aspects of the birthing process. During prenatal testing, they can decide whether to refer a mother for special care and if something really goes wrong, they can always take the mother to the hospital.

The costs of giving birth vary case by case and by insurance plan. We did call around to the big three hospitals in Rockford, none of them reported a drop in the number of mothers coming in to give birth.

For more information, or to find a midwife near you, head to www.illinoismidwives.net.