Share Your Midwife Experiences

[Elenitsa]

Hi. DH and I are expecting in March 2006. We are at the beginning stages of exploring various options. I ran the idea by my sister who tends to keep toward conventional medicine and she was totally unsupportive of going the au natural and midwife route. I don't think it is an all or nothing experience, I would just appreciate if you could share yours. It would be great too if you have experience with both! DH is really encouraging the midwife and my sister says that he isn't a woman and doens't know better. Please share! Thanks!

[Dasha]

Elenitsa

I am also a March 2006 mother who is planning to be treated by a midwife rather than a traditional obstetrician. It's very important to me that my pregnancy and birth experience have as little medical intervention as is safely possible. The midwife I will be seeing works with another midwife in an office with three ob-gyns. She also delivers in a hospital. I feel very confident that if a medical situation arose which requires the expertise of a physician, I will be referred to one of the three in her practice.

You can cite her training to your sister, you can cite statistics of how midwife-assisted deliveries are as safe as those of any OB, how their C-section rates, use of vacuum extraction and foreceps is lower, that labors ar often shorter, etc. However, in the end, it's really your decision and your sister should not decide who handles your prenatal care.

[Elenitsa]

Dasha,

Thanks for you input. Yes, of course it is the decision for my DH and I to make. Just in talking to her, she left me feeling so unsettled. That also highlights the fact that I haven't done nearly enough homework on my own or our own to make a qualified decision and that is why I was hoping others could share their experiences -- as a starting point.

And, yes I did notice your name among the March 2006 mommies. Glad we are in that club together. H&H 9 months to you or the remainder of that!

[EJM]

We are using an ob (even though the practice has 3 midwives) but opted to hire a doula. We are hoping for a more natural birth, not sure what that means for us yet. I love my doctor so I didn't really see a need to involve the midwife and DH was more comfortable with an actual doctor. But I knew we would have little chance of a 100% natural birth without a doula there to support us, especially if my doctor doesn't do the actual delivery, which is very likely.

Sure our doula thought it was a little strange that we didn't go with a midwife if we want to go natural, but after talking to her about it at the interview she is comfortable we made an educated decision.

ETA: Sorry that was confusing why I shared my story. I guess I would think about why you want to use the midwife. If you want to go more natural, then I would definitely consider one. But there are alternatives if you and your DH end up with an ob.

[e&d]

Elenitsa, first off, huge CONGRATULATIONS on your pregnancy! I remember you from the charting threads. :D

Next...is your sister a birthing expert? Does she work in the medical field? ;)

I assume not.

I think this is a decision for you and your husband, and not your sister. Personally, I chose a midwife (who works in an office and hospital setting) for many reasons, and I'm happy with my choice. My father-in-law tried to talk me out of it later, and while I respect his opinion, I made my choice after a lot of thought and research.

For me, I chose a midwife because:
- I really want to avoid an unncessary c-section, and I know my midwife is committed to that as well. (Of course I would have one if it was needed.)

- I've never given birth before, and I want someone to stay with me and let me know what to do the entire time. A doula is also a good option for this. For myself, I just decided that having one caregiver seemed like a better way to go. I didn't want to be in a situation where the doula and OB disagreed about something.

- I don't view birth as strictly a medical process. It is in part, but it is also a physical one that I need to be physically and mentally prepared for and then supported during the process. I would rather have someone who has a midwife mindset than a strictly medical mindset.

There are also really good reasons for choosing an OB. For example, I am very lucky so far in having a low-risk pregnancy; if things weren't going so smoothly, I'd be over at the OB immediately. I think it's just about what makes you feel comfortable...not your sister. You're the one having the baby here. :)

[daisysue62]

The practice I'm going to has both midwives and traditional ob/gyns and you can choose which side to see. I'm going with the midwives side of the practice so I've scheduled my appointments to see all 4 of them multiple times since whoever is on call will be the one to deliver me. They're all great women and are very supportive. I like how they explain everything they are doing and take the time to show me things like how to feel the baby's head. I'll deliver in the hospital's Family Birth Center which is actually connected by a walkway to the clinic I'm going to. I'm excited for the birth and I'm hoping I'll have a better chance of having a vaginal birth (preferably without an epidural) by going with the midwives.

Kellie

[Mickey&B]

I'm due in August and I made the decision to go with a midwife as well. She also delievers in a hospital where OB/GYN are available if any problems were to arise so I felt safe with my decision. I like the fact that it has felt like she has taken a personal interest in what I want to happen at my delivery. I don't plan on going through without meds and she is okay with that. The bottom line is that I felt comfortable with her and that is very important when you are embarking on this wonderful journey. I remember asking around and getting horror stories as well as great experiences with Midwives it truly is what you feel more comfortable with and what you *invision* your birth experience to be like.

[Cohl]

I also used a midwife for my first and only pregnancy and the experience was wonderful. She was very kind and took the time to answer all of my questions without ever making me feel like she was in a hurry or that I was asking stupid questions. I hadn't decided to go unmedicated and she was fine with that. In the end, my labor was quick (5 hours exactly) and went very smoothly. My midwife kept me clued in to what was going on during every second and made me feel very relaxed and taken care of during my entire experience.

[mamax2]

I'm in my second pregnancy assisted by MWs and to tell you how strongly I feel about MWs, I drive 30 mins each way for my appts. and 1 hour to the only hospital where they deliver - it's just that important to me.

I'm a firm believer in natural childbirth and I wanted to spend my pregnancy being treated as a person, not a condition. Even before I ever got pg, I always preferred seeing nurse practitioners over OB/Gyns because I felt they took more time with me and weren't in a rush.

With DD1, I went to a practice w/4 MWs and a few Docs. I had to see a Dr. once, per their policy. I distinctly remember that my appt. w/her was faster, no questions were asked/answered and she barely looked me in the eye. Then, of course, there was my MW who, by the end of my pregnancy was hugging me! I gave birth to my DD in a hospital, but never say a Dr. the entire time I was there. I did have a doula (which the MW supported) and had a great experience achieving the natural birth I dreamed of.

With DC#2, we live in a new area and it was harder to find a MW - I'm actually traveling out of state to do so! Anyway, the practice I'm with now requires me to see all the OBs and the 3 MWs in equal rotation and I'm already not thrilled w/that. In my visit w/the OB he came in the room, told me I had GBS and was going to need IV antibiotics during delivery, asked a few questions and that was it. Yesterday, my MW went over ALL my lab work with me, discussed the GBS and told me I wouldn't HAVE to have the antibiotics, that we would retest, etc., brought my Mom and DD back to the exam room to hear the HB - talked to them - and generally just spent more time with me.

If you want to do some research so you have some fact-based info. for family skeptics (I dealt with plenty of those in my first pregnancy too!), try visiting sites like midwiferytoday.com, midwife.org or acnm.org. You will find that for low-risk women, the outcomes w/midwife assisted births are SAFER than w/an OB. You will be less likely to have unneccessary interventions and more likely to be made a PARTNER and not just a PATIENT in your birth experience. If those things are important to you, I would urge you to select a midwife. You may deal w/some criticism from friends/family, but in the end, it's your body and your choice.

[Rosebud]

Just wanted to bump this thread and ask for more feedback and experiences. A friend recently got me thinking about midwives and I'm just curious as to whether it would be beneficial for us to consider one. I don't know a whole lot about what they bring to the birth experience and would love to hear more from those who have had one, especially with hospital births. TIA!

[Amuse Bouche]

Hey Rosebud -- I can't tell you a ton about midwives since I'm not seeing one, but I can tell you what I discovered when I looked into it around here -- there are almost no freestanding birthing centers, and very few midwives with hospital admitting privileges. I know of the UCLA midwives group, which has admitting privileges at UCLA in Westwood (not Santa Monica) and there's a group downtown that I think has admitting privileges at Good Samaritan, and I think if you're with Kaiser you can get a midwife. I also know of a woman named Deborah Frank who is in Beverly Hills and is associated with an OB (I think Paul Crane) who MIGHT have admitting privileges at Cedars. The availability of midwife care around here is pretty sadly low -- we decided to go with an OB (great in case something goes wrong) and a doula to provide more hands on support (although not medical support) in the labor experience.

ETA: Here's a link you might find useful:

http://www.socalbirth.org/providers/

[Rosebud]

Thanks, Amuse! Sounds like a doula might be a better route for us. I guess I'm just a little confused as to what the difference is between a midwife and a doula and what they would contribute to a hospital birth. I don't want to derail the thread but would love to read along if others have stories to add about their midwife experiences.

[jenjunum]

I'm also torn between using a midwife and an OB. My first appt is mid-Sept and I made an appt with an OB (I'm at the UCLA clinic that's shared by OBs and midwives). I think I'd like to go with a midwife but my husband wants the OB. He's said it's my decision, but I really want him to be on board with the decision I make because I know we'll get crap from his side of the family about it (and he needs to back me up). (My mom had 3 c/s and then gave birth to her last, and largest child in a birthing center, so I know she'd support me.) My husband just keeps asking why OBs need to go to medical school if a midwife can do the same thing. And he's afraid that a midwife might wait too long to intervene if medically necessary. Basically, I'd like to have a natural birth but I'd wouldn't be devastated if I got meds. I DON'T want a c/s and I DON'T want pitocin. Ugh.

[dana b]

i only have a couple secs and this is all just my opinion. if you're choosing between a mw and doula, i'd go with the mw -- using a mw will have more of an impact on your overall birth exp. a doula is there for support and to help you deal w/ pain better, etc. ime, the mw did all that plus deliver my dd in a gentle way -- no episiotomy, stretching perineum, gentle coaching, had me touch my dd's head, put her on my chest, etc. i actually found that i did not need my doula, my mw was so comforting and unlike an ob, she shows up when you check-in and sat at the edge of my bed with me. i could go on and on forever, every prenatal appnt was such a pleasant experience, it made the whole pg from start to finish a special time. i'm not anti-ob, i'm sure there are great ones out there, i just have bad luck picking them. i used an ob w/ my second, thinking that my first birth was so easy that how could this one get screwed up -- it was a nightmare. it wasn't all my ob's fault, but he just happened to miss a complete placenta previa. i checked into l+d early in my pg with such extreme pressure that i couldn't even walk and he blew everything off. i definitely feel like i was under much better care with my mw's. btw, i used the midwives at ucla. i have a gf who used deborah frank and loved her, but i believe you pay cash for her :confused: and i've heard terrible things about the kaiser mw's.

jen what about making an appnt that same day with mw's as well? just see them both back-to-back with dh and see what he thinks, even ask the ob's there what they of using the mw's. for the first appnt with the mw's there, you just sit down with one of them in an office and chat, ask questions, etc. the one after that is more of a check-up.
i took my childbirth prep class from this woman and she's a great resource for westside info (mw's, hospitals, doulas, etc.). she actually trains doulas.
http://www.supportedbirth.com/

[magrat]

My husband just keeps asking why OBs need to go to medical school if a midwife can do the same thing.

OBs are surgeons, that's the main difference. I wouldn't want a surgeon treating me for a non-surgical delivery. Midwives all have backup OBs and are trained to determine when surgery is needed, they just don't perform the operation.

[bamboo]

Rosebud- the difference between a midwife and a doula is that a midwife is a medical provider, while a doula is a labor support person (who may or may not have any formal training in that area). A midwife is more comparable to an OB, though *in general*, their models of care are pretty different. The Midwives Model of Care views birth as a normal, natural event that can unfold a variety of ways. Their role is to provide prenatal care, care during labor and delivery, and brief post-partum care (usually through 6 weeks).

Doulas are fantastic to have at a birth, but choosing to have one or not is pretty different from choosing to see a midwife as your provider or not. There are different types of midwives- generally midwives who practice in hospitals are CNMs or certified-nurse midwifes, which means they earned their RN degree as well as completing a midwifery program. Then there are licensed midwives (also called certified professional midwives), who generally only attend birth center births or homebirths. They do not have a nursing degree, but have completed a midwifery program.

There is a lot of research out there about midwives and OBs, it's certainly worth looking into if you're comparing the two types of care. Midwives are trained to manage normal birth (which most are), and to refer to an OB if a woman needs specialty care (OBs are specialists in high risk births, midwives aren't). The safety data is certainly there to support using a midwife for anyone experiencing a healthy, low-risk pregnancy, and many people who want to do what they can to avoid things like c-sections, episiotomies, and other interventions feel they have a better chance with a midwife than an OB (and that's supported by the data, of course partly because higher risk women who are more likely to need a c-section will wind up being referred to or seeing an OB).

I saw two licensed midwives with my first pregnancy, and will for this pregnancy again. I had a homebirth and plan to again. I had a really incredible experience with my midwives, and loved their prenatal care and their overall approach to pregnancy and birth was pretty identical to mine. I think it's important to really trust your provider, so I think it's always a good idea to meet first and see how you click, with anyone you're considering seeing.

[Scooter]

Rosebud, I hired a doula and also was treated by an OB and then a MW. And gave birth in a hospital. I'll try to list the reasons for each and how they helped, which might be useful to you. I did go into it hoping for a natural childbirth, although in the end I was induced and needed an epidural. I know there's a doula thread around here somewhere, too.

OB
I started out with an OB and felt like I was just being swept through the usual channels. Short appts, felt like part of the herd, didn't feel like my emotional concerns were being addressed. (I'd been through years of infertility and had a previous m/c so I was really scared.) Don't get me wrong, my OB is great and really caring as far as MDs go. She just didn't have the time I needed, and was (understandably) more focused on the medical aspects of pregnancy. She was very supportive of me seeing a MW, though.

Midwife
I changed over to her at 19w, and the difference was amazing. She was very kind and gentle, wanted to sit and talk about my experience with the pregnancy and fears/concerns about it and the birth. She gave me book recommendations and talked at length about various options I had. The appt was much longer than the OB ones, and I felt really supported and well taken care of, like I had a personal connection and wasn't just treated like every other pregnant woman. I saw her for all of my prenatal visits, and my 6 week postpartum checkup.

Doula
In a nutshell, doulas are birthing advocates. I wanted one for several reasons: 1) to help guide us through the process, since we didn't know what to expect; 2) to make sure there was one rational person there to help remember what I wanted and help make sure they didn't try to push unnecessary interventions on me; 3) to help teach me and guide me through NCB techniques and give me birthing tips/tricks to make it easier on me; 4) emotional support for DH & me. She helped us develop the birth plan. Some can teach you prenatal yoga positions or even give prenatal massage.

This is from her flyer, if you're interested:
"Many studies have shown that the presence of a female labor support has incredible benefits such as: 50% reduction in c/s rates, 25% shorter labors, 60% reduction in epidural requests, 30% reduction in requests for pain relief, 40% reduction in forceps deliveries. (source: the Journal of the AMA)"

I hired mine based on just instinct and how much we liked her personality and approach. She was professionally trained. Our initial meeting was free, and when we decided to hire her we signed a contract and she gave us tons of info and resources. We then met with her a couple more times. She was a wealth of knowledge and referrals, told me what books I'd like, suggested classes and NCB approaches, and came over to my house when I went into labor. I was in labor for an unreasonable amount of time (12 days at home), but the original plan was for her to come and help me labor at home until I *had* to go to the hospital. She definitely helped walk me through the contractions, boost my confidence, and suggest lots of relaxation techniques and laboring positions that were very helpful.

At the hospital: My hospital had MWs on rotation, and they attend the majority of the births. The only time they call in an actual OB is if a birth needs medical assistance. Like a c/s, use of a vacuum, things like that. Otherwise, it's all the MWs. The MWs came in and checked me often, and were much more chatty with me and what I was going through than the doctors were. Like, sitting down on the bed next to me and asking how I was--not just medically, but how was my anxiety, was I trying to stay calm and relaxed, was I using my breathing and relaxation techniques, would I like help getting out of bed to try the birthing ball or tub or walking etc. When I ended up with an epidural, the MW and doula were both extremely supportive and encouraging, really not allowing me to feel guilty about the decision.

After DD was born, my doula helped me start BFing (although to be fair the nurses were also involved in that and would have even without my doula). The MW who attended DD's birth also stopped by the following day to check in on me and find out how I was being treated by the postpartum nurses. My doula makes 2 postpartum home visits to make sure you're all right and help you with BFing (or give you resources to help you).

[lil_geek]

I am only 22 weeks but am incredibly happy with my midwife so far!!

My previous experiences with birth were going to a few appointments with a GF of mine, and listening to all their experiences... the main things that pushed me towards a midwife were...

Consistency of Care - where we are, you see your family DR for the first 24-28 weeks, then they switch you to an OB. With the MW I get to see her the entire way. Also, with an OB, whomever is on call is who would deliver, my MW will get a call when I am in labour and I know it will be one of my 2 assigned midwives (unless emergency - but it will still be a midwife I have met at the clinic).

Quality of appointments - My one GF.... her dr's appointments were 5 minutes. She stepped on a scale, peed in a cup, was told she was gaining to much, heard the heartbeat and that was it. A few times she tried to bring up concerns about birth, possible need for induction ( at her 40 week apt the dr didn't discuss - not necessarily a bad thing - but it was like she didn't know she was that far until GF brought it up!).

My appointments so far, are about 30-40 minutes. We do the usual. But we have also talked about different aspects of pregnancy and testing at each appointment (we already talked about circumcision and have a decision, we talked about GD, how to prevent, when to test, etc). They are relaxed and we can bring up any concerns we have. We even brought my parents just to hear the heartbeat and they totally love having you bring others to your appointments!

Doula-type - our midwives clinic MAY be a little different then some. I have looked at doula's and our midwives actually perform a lot of those duties too... when I go in labour, they come to our house. This will help us to labour longer at home, not make 3 runs to the hospital and get sent home, and generally she will act as a coach too. As well, we get a home visit before hand, and 3 afterwards in the first 2 weeks

At the hospital - we are delivering at the hospital. And apparently with our midwives/hospital combination it is like 'renting a room'. We don't have to be supervised by an OB. However, we know there is one on call in case of a real emergency. DH was a little hesitant at first, but in my reading I have found that most true 'emergency' deliveries have many warning signs ahead of time. And by having the MW with me instead on someone walking through on rounds, things should be caught earlier.

Aftercare - We stay with the MW until 6 weeks PP.... and the MW will actually come to our house. Act as LC, nutritionist, etc. They view birth not only as the few hours (hopefully!) you are in the hospital... but the weeks leading up to it and the weeks after all as the part of the process!!



I know a lot I have written is specific to our clinic, but most of them are the things that really made my decision to go with the MW vs the OB... they are just not things an OB will think of!

If you can't find a MW in your area/coverage... then a doula would be a great help and would likley perform a lot of the stuff I was so excited about (home visits, coming to your house in labour etc.)

[wine_o_girlie]

I used a group of midwives (no OB on their staff) who delivered at a hospital for my son's birth in January 07. To put it simply, the entire midwife experience was amazing and one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. That may sound a bit dramatic but a positive birth experience was EXTREMELY important to me and that is exactly what I got with my midwives.

My list of pros for the midwives: Longer, more informative appointments (all appts. were between 45-1 hour), a much more individual and personal approach to my care, they were very gentle and caring, they were truly interested in what I had to say about my instincts for labor and delivery, etc. I had all "normal" modern medicine procedures available to me - ultrasounds, all normal bloodwork, GBS screening, etc. and I delivered in a hospital. Midwife births are actually statistically safer and they have a much, much lower rate of c-sections (my particular group had a rate of approx. 8-10% vs. 30-40 for a typical OB where I live) and episiotomies (mine was around 2%). I happened to see one of the midwives out the other day while shopping and it was like seeing an old friend. :)

Cons - none that I can think of. Seriously, and I am a tough critic. ;)

My labor experience -

The midwives were amazing advocates at the hospital for my desires for labor and delivery - I wanted a low/no internvention birth with no pain meds. Throughout my pregnancy, the midwives would encourage me to visualize how I anticipated my labor playing out and encouraged me to tell them how I envisioned coping with the pain. Everytime I tried to think about being in labor all I could think about was having the ability to move around freely as a coping mechanism. So, I told them that was very important to me and requested only intermittent monitoring and no IV so that I wouldn't be tied to the bed. They were totally fine with that (assuming baby's heartbeat looked good and I was GBS negative - thankfully all of those things were true for me).

I got to the hospital in advanced labor, they checked me quickly (7 cm), ran a heartrate doppler for 20 minutes, and then I was free to labor however I wanted. I choose to walk around (as I suspected, movement was VERY important to me) and they just checked in on me periodically to see if I needed any support. At 9.5 centimeters I got into the tub but didn't love that so they helped me get on to the hospital bed where I started pushing. My son was "sunny side up" but with their awesome coaching and major perineal massaging, I only pushed for 25 minutes and had a small 2nd degree tear. My recovery was a breeze. My MIL's were present for the birth and I swear they are so love with my midwife they want to have another baby!

Breastfeeding support - To put it mildly, my hospital nurses SUCKED with breastfeeding support and I have no doubt that breastfeeding would not have worked out for me if it hadn't been for the midwife. The hospital was all about pushing formula and I had one postpartum nurse glance at my nipples and say "you have flat nipples, breastfeeding isn't going to work out for you". Obviously that isn't true because here I am still breastfeeding at 7+ months. The midwives were amazing and so knowledgeable. We could not have done it without them (and the support of CC in the Breastfeeding support thread).

The bottom line - You could not pay me enough money to have a hospital birth with an OB after the experience I had with my midwives. I have 5 friends who have had babies in the past year, all with an OB, and 5 out of 5 had an induction and/or c-section. Coincidence? Possibly but I think not. Good luck with your decision. Congrats! :)

[Pine Tree]

Loved my midwife!!! I have to say I had a great labour and delivery. I delivered in a hospital without meds and it was a wonderful experience, largely due to my midwife. She was so supportive of letting me try different positions and keeping me informed as to what was going on. She wanted me to make noise if I needed to (I know of women who've had OBs tell them to be quiet!!!) and to move around. During my pregnancy the midwives were just so excited and positive about pregnancy, and spent so long with me and DH at appointments talking and answering questions. I had one appointment with an OB -- he was an hour and a half late, rushed me through and spent most of the time talking about himself. I still get mad thinking about it.

OBs are medical doctors first, so they have general medical training and the specialize. Midwives are highly educated and experts in pregnancy and non-surgical delivery.

Quick story -- My DD was a bit on the small side when born 5 pounds 15 ounces, and then dropped to 5 pounds. The pediatrician insisted that I supplement with formula because my milk hadn't come in yet, and wouldn't discharge her unless I did. Well, the midwife overheard him giving the orders to the nurse and came in to see me. She sat on the bed and hugged me while I bawled my eyes out as my DH gave the bottle to DD (breastfeeding was really important to me - it all worked out fine and we only supplemented for 2 days). Anyways, I couldn't really imagine the OB doing that!

It's a personal choice. You need to feel comfortable and safe. For me, I didn't feel comfortable with an OB who saw me simply as a womb to be emptied.

[ginadc]

I'm only 10 weeks along, but I have to say I love the midwife group I'm working with so far. They really listen to you, spend a lot of time at each appointment, and every time I've called about anything, I get one of them on the phone within a minute--no "I'll have to have them call you back." They're very much all about what you want: if you want pain meds, they will support that, and if you don't want them, they will work closely with you to prepare to do your best to avoid them. (I'm going to try, but am not 100% sure I'll make it!)

I too will be delivering in a hospital, this one with a Level III NICU; they have a partnership with an ob-gyn practice that delivers there and, should I develop complications either prior to or during labor, they "co-manage" with the ob (rather than just simply transferring care). They apparently are also pretty much free to do what they want in the hospital context; there are birthing balls, bathtubs in the new L&D rooms (they're still finishing that remodeling but it should be done by the time I'm due), and apparently there will be at least one birthing tub. Very excited about that.

I got rather frustrated at dinner with some friends last night--3 of the 5 of us are currently pregnant; of the two who are not, one has a 6-week-old and one has a 3-year-old. The one who is now pregnant with her second really challenged me on the midwife thing, and I was getting pissed. When I told her that midwives have an extraordinarily low c-section rate and NJ's overall is nearly 50%, she insisted that all of that had to do with the fact that midwives see only low-risk births. I told her that studies have shown that even with low-risk births, midwives still have lower rates of section, episiotomy, etc., but she just wouldn't hear me. "I'm not buying it." Then she kept asking me if I wasn't nervous, what if something happened, bla bla. I'm like, "I'll be in a major hospital with a level III NICU, even if something does go wrong, I'll be taken care of." It's not like, if something went wrong and I was delivering with an ob, the odds would be that the doctor would even be in the freakin' room at the time anyway, which the midwife will.

Then she kept insisting that I had to be "high risk" because of my age (40) and cancer history. I explained that the cancer history means jack to the pregnancy, and that while at my age I might have more of a risk of developing something like pre-eclampsia that would mean the need for ob co-management, I don't currently have any of those things and would not be "high risk" unless I developed them. Again, she just gave me this 'tude like I was deluding myself.

RRRrrrr. You give birth your way honey, I'll give birth mine.

Sorry for the tangent!

[jenjunum]

Thank you so much for all of your experiences. I'm going to see if my insurance will cover care and delivery by a midwife and hopefully switch over.

[moderngal]

I delivered my son with an OB. I loved my OBs, but they were very low- intervention and had a more natural approach to labor and delivery than I suspect most OBs are.

However, when I got pregnant with #2, I went for a midwife. I ended up having a m/c, but I have to say that the support I received from the midwife was amazing. It was like having my favorite aunt with me throughout. I don't doubt that my previous OBs wouldn't have been nice, but I do think in my situation, having a midwife was the best thing that happened for me.

Next time (if there is one) I plan on going back to this midwife.

[purplevega]

I have a midwife and find the care to be far better then my OB's care. My OB took 5 minutes with me each visit. My midwife spends alot of time talking to me and getting to know me. My OB came into the room to catch my son. My midwife will be here with me the whole time. My midwife is so much more personal. I know about her life and have let her into mine.

Kim

[FoxyBlue]

Did anyone with a midwife see an OBGYN at any point while under the general care of the midwife?

I'm am waiting for a go-see with the woman I hope will be my midwife.

She's been great, but I wasn't sure what to do if I felt I needed an OBGYN's advice at any point.

For example, I have mild allergies and asthma. I tried to get an appointment at the family clinic I ALWAYS go to. They didn't want to touch me when I mentioned that I was pregnant (and don't have an OBGYN to 'consent').

I did finally get an appointment with an allergy/asthma specialist, but still...

[Standrea]

My OB's office has 3 midwifes in their practice. Although I love my OB, I LOVE the midwife that delivered DD. She was with us for a few hours leading up to the birth of DD, and after the delievery of DD for a few hours. She came to the hospital everyday until I went home as well. I am hoping that the same MW will be able to deliver DC#2 in May.

[bamboo]

FoxyBlue- I never saw an OB during my pregnancy. From my perspective, OBs are specialists in higher-risk pregnancies. So if something had come up that had moved me from a low-risk to a high-risk pregnancy, I would have sought the care of an OB. Happily, nothing did. For non-pregnancy related medical things that come up during pregnancy, I just see my naturopath (the doctor I usually see when I'm not pregnant).

I know some women might see an OB and a midwife at the same time for various reasons, but I can't understand why that clinic wouldn't allow you to be seen if you had a midwife to consent. Maybe it was just that you didn't have any pregnancy care provider just then? I don't think seeing both is easy (unless it's a situation where a group of care providers contain both OBs and midwives) since your insurance wouldn't double-pay for the same service kwim?

[carolc]

I used midwives for my first pregnancy (was supposed to a birth center birth but ended up being a hospital birth--the midwife still delivered the baby) and am planning a homebirth with midwives for this one. I LOVE midwife care. The prenatal experience is just amazing with MWs, and I am sure my first would have been a section (which I did not want!) with an OB. I think they are fantastic advocates for women.

Both my "sets" of MWs had back-up OBs. I never met the back-up during my first PG, but this time he will do my 20-week u/s. I still hope never to see him again. ;) Actually, I am thrilled this time because my homebirth MWs are arranging for a hospital MW to be their backup in the case of non-C transfers.

[jenjunum]

I called my insurance company and found out that the do cover prenatal care by a midwife so I have my first appointment scheduled for 9/25 with my midwife.

[lml41981]

We used an OB with Natalie. I was diagnosed with GDM and ended up on insulin within a week of the diagnosis. As a result, I was induced at 39 weeks. I had a 26 hour long labor from the time the Cervidil was applied until she was born. I was minutes away from having a C-section according to my OB. Additionally, I had an episiotomy against my will and the reason I was given after the fact, I discovered was most likely a lie. Finally, I had a manual retrieval of clots within minutes of the birth and was not given anesthesia for that. Nor was I told what was happening or why until her hand was already inside my uterus. I believe that there should have been time to give me something for the pain, as my research has shown that the cervix would have stayed open long enough to allow for that. Additionally, I ended up back in the hospital for a transfusion a week later. I never should have been allowed to leave before being transfused, in the first place, but that was the decision the doctor gave me in the whole ordeal...not whether or not I wanted my perineum cut or a hand put inside my body, but whether or not I received blood.

This time, we're planning a homebirth. I recognize that manual retrieval is still a possibility and that medication for pain relief would not be. I also recognize that my midwife would be much more sensitive in how she delivered the news that it needed to be done, if it does need to be done. I have declined the glucose tolerance test based on my the fact that I'm comfortable in the research I've done and the fact that my BSLs are checking out to be totally normal (on the low end, actually, according to my midwife). If I were going to do the GTT, I'd ask for the jellybean test rather than glucola, though (that's just a "by the way" statement). I'm really beyond happy with the care that I've received. I love that my midwife comes to my home for visits...it is sooo convenient with having DD here and everything. Additionally, she involves DD in everything, which I really appreciate. DD is, afterall, welcoming a new member of the family, too!

G-d willing, I'll never use an OB again. With the OB, everything was a problem and each problem was treated. With the midwife, I feel like my body is being allowed to do what it needs to do. I'm not treated like just another patient. I'm not treated like I have a condition that needs to be cured. I'm treated like this is a wonderful event that needs to be celebrated and welcomed...which wasn't the feel I got from the OB.

I will say that my big concern is how I'll handle the post-partum stuff. With DD, I had a couple nights in the hospital. Meals were brought to me. I had hardly any responsibility. It was kind of like a vacation before the real world set in. This time, I'll have a toddler to deal with and a newborn. I won't have nurses checking on me, bringing me things, helping me out...I won't have someone bringing me meals in bed... I wonder if I'll find myself up an hour or so after the baby is born making dinner for the family.

[E&O]

Like many of you mentioned the practice that I visit (the largest in our area) has about 10 OBs and 7 MW. Their main office is suite in the Womens & Babies Hospital where I deliver.

When I was PG with #1, I seem to remember that they kind of recommended that you begin meeting the MW unless you feel strongly about seeing the doctor or if you are high-risk. All thoughout I meet with a mix of the MW (whoever is on call will deliver you). As others mentioned, they were all very warm and friendly and willing to talk through anything.

In the end, my pregnany expereince was a little out of th enormal. My water broke at 34w4d. And because it was a 'massive rupture' not just a trickle I was admitted to the W&B Hospital for fear of infection. And there I sat for 3 days, no contractions no nothing. So I did end up seeing an OB in addition to the MW who delivered me just to talk through all of the options and outcomes. I almost became a permanent fixture, nurses would walk into my room each morning and say 'hey! you're still here!'

We finally induced at 35w exactly, using Cervacil and I delivered the next morning, epidural free. I had labored most of the night without knowing it (went to bed at 1 cm dilated, woke up at 8cm).

So in the end it was a crazy ride, but I am very happy with the MW expereince and I am seeing one again for PG #2.

[FoxyBlue]

I'm now torn because they midwives I had planned to work with are not allowed at the new birth center I was planning to use.

I do not particularly want a home birth. Home-like, yes, but not like my home :)

So we're going to check out the birthing center and meet the midwife there before we sign our contract.

Sigh. I don't want the upheaval, but I LOVE the birthing center from what I've seen!

[Scooter]

*bump*

[mcgwigan]

Scooter Thanks for bumping this-the search function has not been working for me! It's so frustrating!

[jenjunum]

I had a wonderful experience with my midwife. I went to a midwife group that shared an suite with an OB group (and billed under an OB for insurance purposes) in the medical complex next to my hospital. The midwives delivered at that hospital. I really wanted to go the midwife route but I felt more comfortable delivering in a hospital. I saw any one of the 6 midwives in the group when I went in for appointments and whichever one was on call would deliver my baby (one of the them was stationed in the hospital at all times). In the end I got the natural childbirth I wanted and I think that was due in large part to being treated by a midwife. They encouraged me to labor at home longer (and sent me home when I really wanted to stay) and she reminded me that I didn't want an epidural and that I was almost there when I was in transition and really, really wanted an epidural. My husband helped as well but if my healthcare provider has dangled any kind of pain relief in front of me I think I would have snatched it up. She gave me a little nudge to make it. And in the end I'm so proud I did.

Just in general I felt much more cared for rather than just being treated by someone.

[heidi0622]

I used midwives for both of my children. Ditto to what the other posted, my midwives viewed birth as a natural process and kept things as low intervention as possible. During my first pregnancy, they also took the time to answer as many questions as I had and address my concerns (it had taken us a while to get pg with #1). I loved that they were as low-intervention as possible, but when the h/b was low at one appointment, they didn't hesitate to send me for an ultrasound to address any concerns. I ended up being able to have a natural childbirth with #1.

#2 was breech, so I ended up with a c-section. The midwives worked with me until the end though to try to get the baby to turn (exercises, chiropractor, external version, etc.) and didn't automatically schedule a c-section. I still continued to see the midwife until the end and they were there to assist with the c-section. She addressed the 5 million questions I had with all the patience in the world, calmed me down when I was getting the spinal, etc. Afterwards, she helped me BF my son as soon as I could in the recovery room.

I just loved the overall care that I got from them throughout both pregnancies.

[KristieW]

I loved everything about my MW experience, from prenatal on.

We had a group of five midwives. Our HMO requires you to meet with them at least once at the beginning of the pregnancy unless you're in a higher-risk category, then you can choose MW or OB from there. We knew we'd go the MW route, so it was not a big deal. We had freedom to schedule appts with any of them that we chose, although they encouraged you to get to know them all because there was no guarantee on which one would deliver the baby. We did end up meeting with all five, and that was good, because the one that ended up delivering DD was the one we'd only seen once for an NST (go figure). Visits were usually a half-hour plus, most of which was time for us to ask questions and them to go over stuff with us. The times when we did have a ton of questions, I never felt like they were impatient, even when our appt time ran over. They were available via email five days a week for quick questions. Later in the pregnancy, they presented the different things they could do while caring for us (cervical checks during exams, continuous fetal monitoring and other L&D options, etc.) and reviewed them with us so that we could make an informed decision about what we wanted to do. This was very important to us as I planned on having an NCB but knew that I would need support. The births themselves were done in a hospital our HMO contracts with, and the MWs have full privileges there.

The delivery itself was fabulous, even with complications which the MW handled skillfully. I began experiencing really heavy bleeding which sent me to L&D a week before my due date. I was also having what I thought was back pain and gastric distress, but turned out to be contractions. When I got there I was still bleeding heavily, but I was alert, had good BP/pulse/color, and baby's initial monitoring test strip was letter perfect. That was the only time during my whole five hour labor that I was hooked up to the monitor, despite the heavy bleeding that continued for most of it. Rather than freak out at the bleeding, the MW chose to use those data (mine and baby's) to determine that both of us were obviously fine, and she allowed me to continue laboring as I'd wanted (shower/tub/walking around/etc.). She stayed with me pretty much the entire time (ducked out for quick checks on another patient who was laboring with an epidural) and worked with DH to help me manage and focus through my pain (especially helpful for the hip squeeze technique she taught him).

The delivery was the rocky part. There was still quite a bit of blood, but again, as all of my and the baby's signs were good, she allowed me to push, and right before baby girl crowned, she worked on stretching things out down there with her fingers and mineral oil. When little girl's head was delivered, she had a really short cord wrapped so tightly around her neck that it was ivory-colored (the cord, not the neck), and she was so calm in calling in backup, getting the cord cut, and helping me get the rest of DD's body out. Thanks to her work, even though DD's shoulders got stuck, I only had a 1st degree tear.

After the delivery and through my two-day hospital stay, the MWs checked on me constantly even though I was recovering. They negotiated an extra day's stay for me in the hopes that DD (in the NICU due to birth trauma) could go home together. They arranged to have a visiting nurse come out when DD came home after almost four days. In short, they were FABULOUS, even when things didn't go perfectly. Definitely going this route again next time.