So Confusing

Because I am the type of person who likes (loves?) to plan things out, I have been doing some research into all the ducks that Jersey and I need to have in a row before we have a baby. We aren't getting married until next spring, but we'd love to start a family shortly thereafter. Since we can't just do things the natural way, it will take some work to figure out fertility treatments and all that fun stuff. And before any of that happens, I need health insurance.

Yep, that's right; I'm uninsured and have been for years. Some of that has been due to my own laziness (though there was a time when it was a choice between insurance or power/gas/water, so I kinda had to prioritize), but now it's time to get my shit together and get covered. Since I'm an independent contractor, I can't get any of the super cool group insurance that includes maternity coverage; I have to apply for an individual plan and almost none of them will cover maternity stuff. I've looked at different options, but a lot of it is confusing!

I seem to have three options at this point. First, I can get a plan that includes maternity coverage. It would be relatively expensive (about $200 more a month than a plan without the coverage), but at least it's all there. I'm hesitant about this mainly because it could cost me extra money after I'm done having kids and that would be a waste. But shouldn't I be able to find a more basic plan after I have a baby? Obviously I don't want a gap in my coverage, so I'd have to be careful, but I wouldn't be the first person to switch insurance plans, would I?

Option two would be to get basic coverage without maternity, but add on a supplemental policy that would essentially reimburse me for my maternity costs. It seems like doing something like this could work really well, or something could completely fall through the cracks and I'd get screwed. I'm nervous about everything becoming too complicated if I try to coordinate separate policies.

The third option is what a coworker suggested (she is also an independent contractor and has a two-year-old). She kept her basic policy for herself and paid all of the maternity costs out of pocket. Apparently, if you negotiate with the hospital as soon as you find out you're pregnant, it's possible to get a MUCH lower fee than what hospitals charge the insurance companies, and you can make payments throughout the pregnancy so that it's not a huge lump sum cost (sorry if that whole negotiation thing is common knowledge; I've been fortunate enough to not have to deal with hospital bills). Still, my understanding is that it could come to a total of $6000-$10,000, and that seems worse than paying the extra money for the expensive insurance policy.

Ugh, I am definitely going to contact reps from all of these companies, but does anyone have an experience or advice on any of this? I need to figure it out relatively quickly, because I know some of these policies have 12 month waiting periods and we would like to start fertility procedures next May or June (and, yes, I know the fertility stuff won't be covered). Please let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions!