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Find a Midwife
- Feb 23, 2010 at 3:50 PM
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- Comments (15) Total Views (692) Everyone can see this journal post.
Finding a midwife can be challenging, and because of differing legal status from state to state, finding a direct-entry midwife can be especially challenging!
One thing to remember is that Midwives SPECIALIZE in natural childbirth, how to *prevent* complications, and how to handle them if they arise.
Obstetricians are trained surgeons. They don't do much by way of prevention, because they can just "fix" whatever has happened once it has happened.
Women have been having babies at home since the beginning of time. Midwives have MUCH better outcomes at home than Obstetricians do in the hospital. At home, complications are FAR less than in the hospital. And, babies are welcomed into the world much more peacefully at home.
You go to a doctor when you have an illness, or an emergency. Not when you're simply wanting to let nature take its course. ;)
This group hopes to be a state by state data base for ALL midwifes and doulas. As well as many other resouces...
Comments:
I have had both, a midwife and an OB. I like both. I have had all my children in hospitals. I have had the choice with both an OB and a midwife to pain medication and ways to labor and deliver. I have not seen much variation. I have now delivered 4 children, all vaginal births, with no tearing or episiotomies. My children ranged in size from 8 lbs 10 oz to 7 lbs. 5 oz. I feel my OB now with my 5th child is just as patient, understanding and willing to accomodate my own needs as my midwife was with my first one. OB's are not "trained surgeons" what a misconception. They are trained to do c-sections but when my OB says, I will do whatever it takes to avoid a c-section with you, I feel comfortable knowing that. If they were just "trained surgeons" then they would just do c-sections for every birth like a surgeon does for any other issue that requires surgery as a treatment. Also know that all surgeons don't just do surgery first, many pursue other options with many conditions and use surgery as a last resort. In fact, my OB knows I want my tubes tied. He could have said sure let me schedule a c-section and we will tie your tubes while we are in there. But he didn't he said before we consider the surgical tubal why don't you let me inform you of Essure which is a non surgical procedure, with minimal discomfort and 1-2 days recovery time. HMMM...but yeah he just wants to cut me open right? Just because your concept of what an OB is based on whatever information you have is what you see, don't assume all OB's fall in that category and don't believe all midwives are homebirths only or against pain meds. Midwives cannot handle high risk cases of pregnancy either just an FYI.
For me, personally, I loved having a midwife. She was way more one on one, seemed more caring about me specifically as a patient rather than just as a "number" like a lot of OBs do. However, my midwife was "overseen" by an OB. The office had two OBs, three midwives and a few PAs. I had my DD in the hosptial, by my midwife, but if there was anything emergent, (say I needed to have a c-section), the OB would have been there to do it. FOR ME, that is the best of both worlds. I had the natural experience with my midwife, but had the reassurance that had something gone wrong, I would have had one of the best OBs in the state there to take care of us. I strongly believe to each their own, but I could never risk having my baby at home, there are too many things that can go wrong in child birth, I could never risk my baby's life like that.
OBs are still trained in medical school and they are surgeons, they do do a lot of surgeries for many things though not just cesareans. There is a difference in the kind of care that is done.
In Europe, midwives and OBs work together. Midwives take on low risk pregnancies and OBs take on higher risks pregnancies. If a pregnancy develops a complication, the patient is referred to an OB. It's the best of both worlds and it would be nice to have a similar set up here but here, there's competition between OBs and midwives which makes it harder on women here having babies. Women in the US really do not have the full range of choices they would have in other countries. Many OBs also will push a cesarean if a woman has already had one. A number of hospitals have VBAC bans even though the risks of a VBAC are LOWER than the risk of a repeat cesarean.
Midwives don't only deliver babies either Simply Janeen. If you want to get technical. They do gynecological care too. They do counseling just like an OB for postpartum. My mother got her BSN when I was 11. The midwife I had with my first 2 daughters was one of her best friends through her schooling. I know what the schooling entails for both midwives and doctors in OB. Both are trained to do the best they can using the techniques fitting to labor and delivery. I am glad I have the choice to go to an OB or to a midwife. I know many women who are uncomfortable with midwives and many uncomfortable with OB's. In my small town of 7,000 in Ohio we have 3 OB's. My midwife was underneath one of them and decide to drop practice not due to lack of patients but due to the medical malpractice insurance. It had nothing to do with competition because there are more women pregnant here than these doctors could keep up with. My sister in law was opted a VBAC and guess what, she opted NOT to take it. Not because the doctor didn't want to do it, but because she said a c-section was easier than natural labor. Americans take the easy way out many times which is why our c-section rate is higher too. Women in America do have the full range of choices. I have had an OB hospital birth and a midwife hospital birth. My cousin had a midwife home birth in VA. She now lives in denmark and is not allowed to have a midwife or a homebirth there. So please tell me who has more choices?
A midwife almost delivered my first son (in a hospital). He got stuck sunny side up and inhaled fluid. I was pushing for an hour and they brought the doc in. The doc was the one who realized that my baby was still sunny side up (facing up). She turned him and gave me an episotomy, he was out within two pushes where I had tried to get him out for the entire hour before. The midwife was new but she messed up and it nearly cost me my first born. In the entire hour I pushed she did not realize my son was in the wrong position. He was purple when he was born and was rushed to a NICU. He had aspirated on the fluid while stuck inside me.I wish the more seasoned midwife had been there to deliver but she was not and the midwife on call was who I got. She quit right after my son was born, I think his delivery really scared her.
My second delivery was a private practice ob. He saved me from a cesarian section. My blood pressure dropped and the baby's heart rate dropped, they had people standing by to rush me in to cesarian. My OB knew it was not something I wanted if at all possible so he inserted fluid inside me to take the pressure off the cord (I think it is called amnio infusion). He told them to ready the vaccuum if needed because they had to get my baby out quick but he was out thankfully in two pushes. The need to get him out was so urgent that the doc did not even robe up. I did not need the vaccum or the cesarian and my baby was born perfectly healthy. My OB really cared about what I wanted.
I am not going to say the OB is better than the midwife, but in my case he was. I also truly believe that if the overseeing OB had not intervened with my first delivery that my first born would not be here today. I actually am forced to go with a midwife this time around as I moved away from my previous OB that delivered my second and third born children. The town I live in has one OB practice with two OBs and four midwives. The midwives are the main ones I will be seeing. I am scared to be honest because of my previous experience but I am willing to give it a shot again. I just plan to deliver at a hospital because two out of three deliveries have had complications, I am not willing to bet the odds with my children. I hope to have a better experience using a midwifethis time around.
Okay before we call out Fistandantalus know that is going to nursing school and is a smarty pants. So please don't discount what she has to say. I have met her and person and she is wonderful. She has had to clean up a dead mother and baby and it broke her heart. She does care.
Now, I am all for natural care and childbirth. I find that ihe people that go this route seem to really believe in the process. That is wonderful but please give out facts and not just statements that have not basis.
I had a friend that heard so much of this stuff that she became a doula. Personally I would love to become a doula myself. She then thought she was trained enough to deliver her own baby. She would measure her fundus and got all the tools she needed for a home birth. She then proceeded to deliver twins. The first wasn't breathing so she had to give CPR while delivering the second herself in the water. This meant that valuable time was burned not getting oxygen to the baby.
Now the baby has major brain issues. The other has heart defects. Does this make all home births bad? No. We can't lump everything into one big messy pile.
I am glad there is a group out there that want to help those that chose to go with a home-birth. Just please don't give misinformation that doctors want to cut you. While it is true that some do, most don't. My sister (rolls my eyes at her) didn't want her vagina stretched so she kept looking for doctors until she found one that would cut her without question. That means there were several doctors that turned her away.
I agree Rebecca when it comes to Fistandantalus she is a very smart woman and who ever has her for a nurse is going to be a lucky person. I had both my first child was delivered by an OB and he was the biggest ass out there he was more concern about getting to his golf game then trying to help me. I had been in labor with her for three days plus she was a month early and out of those three days I saw him twice, once when I checked in and the second was to deliver her. My second child was with a midwife and had a very good experience with her.
My point is this just because you're either a OB or midwife doesn't mean that person is capable of doing their job correctly, some are excellent in doing their jobs and some are not, The best thing for you and your child is RESEARCH make sure its safe for you to have a midwife not all women are capable of having natural child birth.
When finding a caregiver, what is the most important thing? Research research research. Find one who is willing to work with you, for what you want. Unfortuantly, OB/GYN's AND Midwives are only human, so your type of care will range from person to person more then field to field. Some midwives are really supportative, really educated, and really hoping you will achieve the birth that you intend, just like some OB's. On the other hand some ( OB's and Midwies) are real douches who aren't really that into what YOU want, but really into what is most convienient for THEM.
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I'm going to join. I really need to find a midwife who will take me on. I'm currently in South Korea but I'm returning to the US. Thing is, I'll be around 29 weeks pregnant by the time I return but we need to save up more money first before I can leave. It hasn't been easy and I'm hoping to find someone who can take me so I can make plans to get back to the US.
- Simply_Janeen
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