Poll to get my mind off things OB vs Midwive

[Magpie]

I LOVED my midwives!

I had both my children at home, with my midwives attending. They were fantastic. They made tea, they let me do my own thing, and they even did my laundry for me afterward! I appreciated being able to take a shower right after and then get into my own bed with the baby. I didn't have to worry about procedures or rules or follow anyone else's schedule.

Independent Midwives in my province are fully certified and trained. They don't work with or under an OB, though they will stay with a patient if she has to be transferred to an OB's care due to risk factors. But if that happens, it's the OB who delivers, not the midwife. She becomes basically a doula in that situation. Midwives can deliver either at the hospital birthing unit or at home, depending on what the mother wants. If it's a homebirth, they bring their own equipment including a vacuum extractor if the baby gets stuck. They can sew up tears, and administer pain killers - pretty much everything short of giving you a nerve block, and honestly the idea of anyone sticking a big ol' needle into my spine scares me a LOT more than labour. They provide all pre-natal and post-natal care up to... I think it was 6 weeks after, and then we transferred back to my doctor for baby care.

I know it's supposed to be a big right of passage and all, but I didn't find that labour hurt all that much. It was hard work, but it wasn't like walking around on a broken leg or anything. It was a healthy hurt, if that makes any sense. Maybe I'm just lucky.

If I was having another low-risk, uncomplicated pregnancy, I'd do exactly the same thing again. No question!

 

[sbsteel]

A Certified Nurse Midwife (BA in nursing, masters in midwifery) works in conjunction with an OB practice-this isn't the "country midwife attending a homebirth" that a lot of you are referring to. In fact, in most states if a Certified Nurse Midwife attended a homebirth she would lose her license.

Totally agree! My midwife worked in conjunction with an OB practice, had me induced, called for my epidural, and delivered my baby in a hospital. If I had needed a c-section, one of the two OB's in her practice would have been there immediately. My midwife also guaranteed me (short of an act of God) she would deliver my baby, not just whoever was on call. My midwife even had my assigned L&D nurse changed to someone with more experience and a similar personality to my husband and I. She also handled my regular gyn needs. I cannot say enough good things about her and midwifery in general.

I hope those posted about only wanting a doctor because they want a hospital delivery or someone who can handle an emergency realize how much things have changed.

Also OP, check out one of the many pregnancy/baby boards out there, many women in your shoes are discussing the same thing.

 

[lspst8]

Totally agree! My midwife worked in conjunction with an OB practice, had me induced, called for my epidural, and delivered my baby in a hospital. If I had needed a c-section, one of the two OB's in her practice would have been there immediately. My midwife also guaranteed me (short of an act of God) she would deliver my baby, not just whoever was on call. My midwife even had my assigned L&D nurse changed to someone with more experience and a similar personality to my husband and I. She also handled my regular gyn needs. I cannot say enough good things about her and midwifery in general.

I hope those posted about only wanting a doctor because they want a hospital delivery or someone who can handle an emergency realize how much things have changed.

This is how my midwives work ... it's completely modern with access to all of the modern equipment and technology. The OB only has to come in if I would need a C-section because they can't do surgery themselves. But, like I said earlier, they have only a 10% c-section rate, and they said in the past 3 yeaers they've been at my hosptial, less than 10 truly emergency c-section births. Most of the c-sections were made after long labors where the mom was exhausted and with her consent, not due to a horrific emergency of some sort.

 

[mickeyboat]

I used a midwifery practice too where I delieverd in a hospital and had access to every medical intervention necessary, including an OB and epidural. I loved the extra care and attention I received from them, and continue to see them for my GYN care.

There were several women in the practice and I had a chance to meet every one over the course of my pregnancy so I would feel comfortable with whichever one was on call when I delivered.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

OB-BUT interview them before you commit. My first OB was horrible and unsympathetic / unemotional when I had my first miscarriage. I left and found my new OB/GYN. I LOVE HIM! he is caring not to sympathetic but was caring when I had my second MC and third. Through my entire pregnancy he was there for me. He would call back within the day if I had question. VERY personable. OB's are trained to deal with more incidents than Midwives IMHO. Nurses can easily do what a a midwife does.

 

[AshleyW]

OB-BUT interview them before you commit. My first OB was horrible and unsympathetic / unemotional when I had my first miscarriage. I left and found my new OB/GYN. I LOVE HIM! he is caring not to sympathetic but was caring when I had my second MC and third. Through my entire pregnancy he was there for me. He would call back within the day if I had question. VERY personable. OB's are trained to deal with more incidents than Midwives IMHO. Nurses can easily do what a a midwife does.

No they can't. A certified nurse midwife can prescribe medication, a nurse can't. CNM's also have masters degrees, whereas most nurses do not. CNM's can also act as a primary healthcare provider for women. I've gone to a CNM for my gyno exams, and she's wonderful.

The biggest difference between an OB and a CNM is that OB's are trained to treat the "illness" of labor, whereas CNM's don't intervene unless medically necessary.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I had an OB both times. The one OB had a midwife in her practice, and I saw her for a couple of my routine appointments with no problems. I liked her just fine and I think had my OB been out of town or something when I delievered, she would have delivered me (hospital, she didn't do home births). However, that pregnancy ended in an emergency c-section, so it didn't matter. MW did stop by to see me before she went to work the morning I went home, just to see the baby and say hi.

 

[KellyWasHere]

For both of mine I went to a Certified Nurse Midwife practice (which consisted of 2 CNMs). They worked in a hospital, not home birth. The first pregnancy I had to have one appointment with the OB they work with, the second time I didn't.

I LOVE my midwives. They took so much time with me at each appointment, to answer any and all questions I or my husband had. I wanted to deliver without drugs and they were so great for that, created a real environment that supported that in the hospital. I read their newsletter every month with birth stories and they also had many births where the parents decided to use drugs. They totally supported whatever the parents wanted to do, no judgement. The c-section births I read, the midwives went in with the mom and dad to make sure they made it through the procedure well and that they knew exactly what was going on.

With my first I pushed for 3.5 hours, and then they called the OB, who did a vacuum extraction. (I wanted to push for that long, they let me know they could call in the OB at any point.) The second they broke my water the day before 40 weeks (I had been 2-4 cm dialated all through the last month and at a -2 station. YIKES!) It was a fast delivery, 4 hours, with 1 hour of pushing.

The midwives were at the hospital the entire time I delivered, and came to hang out with us often. That's exactly what it felt like, just hanging out, they would sit on the bed and just chat with us while I walked around or did whatever made me comfortable.

The support after you have the baby is phenomenal with the midwives too. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Of course you should still interview to make sure you "click". I go to the midwives for my yearlies too, started that a couple years before I got pregnant. They are wonderful.

We also hired a doula for our first birth. She was awesome and helped me through a scary experience (very fast birth). Even if I would've wanted drugs the delivery went too fast for me to get them. So it was a life saver having her there. And, because there are quite a few posts pushing how great epidurals are, I have to say I've never felt as great as I have after I gave birth without medication. If you want a drug free delivery, I definitely recommend going for it. Don't let people sway you. I really had my mind set on doing it, and am so happy I did. As someone else said, it is hard work, but it has a purpose, it comes in intervals, and you know it's only going to last a set amount of time. It is not a bad thing. It was almost always manageable, and being able to move and try different coping techniques gave me a real sense of control which is what keeps me going in tough situations. But you really have to want it, I can't imagine being wishy-washy about it and being able to stick it out. Good luck with whatever you decide!

ETA: I just remembered that for my second, because I had trouble pushing my first out, the midwives actually recommended I have an epidural this time to relax me and help me focus on pushing. I decided not too, and they completely supported my decision. Even though I kept telling them all through the pregnancy about how scared I was of the pushing part. And when that time came, Gretchen assured me she'd be out in an hour. And she was right!

 

[disney1990]

I used an OB, but my daughter used a midwife in a hospital setting. The best of both worlds. There were no problems, so there was no need for a doctor. However, if there had been, an OB would have been called in.

 

[sunnyday123]

OB, hospital-and would never, ever do it any other way.

My pregnancy was completely and totally normal, no problems, morning sickness, swelling, nothing.

When Dd was born,she wasn't breathing. The cord was wrapped very tightly around her neck-it never showed up in the ultra sound and her heart rate was fine-and she wasn't moving or breathing at birth. ( the cord tightened as she came down the bc) If we had been anywhere else but a hospital, she would have died. Risking my baby's life is not worth having an experience or a perfect birth.


And I'm still trying to figure out if the OP is actually pregnant and has even taken a test yet, according to her sig line.

 

[LuvOrlando]

To each their own but here's my story.

DS was born full term, no problems.

Pregnancy with DD was a totally different thing. When DD was born I nearly died with zero symptoms of really severe Pre-Eclampsia. By the time I had any symptoms at all I was deathly sick, my brain was swelling and DD had to be delivered within hours. No way a midwife would have recognized what was going on because I had no idea with no clinical presentations other than widely fluctuating blood pressure, it would swing from 100/60 to 165/125 in hours and I felt nothing until it was too late AND I was under high risk pregnancy care. Only the blood work, urinalysis & sonograms told the truth & saved our lives, she was born at 28 weeks perfectly healthy with an APGAR of 9. My own personal little miracle I am so grateful I was being watched due to weird numbers from my prenatal blood screening. The Amnio came back fine but the blood work said something would go wrong, and it did... just not with the baby with the placenta, I was very lucky.

 

[KellyWasHere]

To each their own but here's my story.

DS was born full term, no problems.

Pregnancy with DD was a totally different thing. When DD was born I nearly died with zero symptoms of really severe Pre-Eclampsia. By the time I had any symptoms at all I was deathly sick, my brain was swelling and DD had to be delivered within hours. No way a midwife would have recognized what was going on because I had no idea with no clinical presentations other than widely fluctuating blood pressure, it would swing from 100/60 to 165/125 in hours and I felt nothing until it was too late AND I was under high risk pregnancy care. Only the blood work, urinalysis & sonograms told the truth & saved our lives, she was born at 28 weeks perfectly healthy with an APGAR of 9. My own personal little miracle I am so grateful I was being watched due to weird numbers from my prenatal blood screening. The Amnio came back fine but the blood work said something would go wrong, and it did... just not with the baby with the placenta, I was very lucky.

If you were seeing a CNM, she would've transferred you to OB care when you had the abnormal prenatal blood screening numbers.

Glad everything worked out well.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

And I'm still trying to figure out if the OP is actually pregnant and has even taken a test yet, according to her sig line.

Yes, I had a positive pregnancy test. I'm pregnant. When I chose the ticker, it gives you a choice of a "humorous" sig line or the regular one with the development of the baby (how many inches, which organs are forming etc) at each stage. I just liked the humorous one better.

 

[AnnetteF]

My DD is 6 now but when I was expecting her, my OB group had 5 OB's and 3 midwives on staff. Sometimes you saw the OB but other times, the midwives. I have to say that I was very impressed with the midwives. They really took their time with me and didn't seem as rushed. Their answers to my questions were honest and frank. They were much easier to talk to and much warmer. Whenever I talked with the OB.s, I always felt like the answers I got were very carefully calculated and thay made sure they didn't say anything that would leave them subject to any liability. In the end, I wound up with a c-section and the OB who did it was great and I still see her to this day, but I would have felt very comfortable with any of those midwives had the c-section not been necessary.

 

[jodifla]

I used a great OB and a hospital with the highest NICU rating in our area. I was an older mom at 40.

There was a midwife of staff, but I preferred to be under a doctor's care. I think using a midwife is fine if they are attached to a practice and you deliver at a hospital.

I'd NEVER deliver at home. I wanted to be right at the hospital in case there were any problems. I've a close friend who had to have lifesaving surgery after the delivery....she'd likely be dead if she'd insisted on have the "experience of a home birth.