Experiences With Both Doctor and Midwife

by Nicole

"When my husband a I got pregnant with our first child we already had plans to use a midwife. It was something I had wanted to do for years because I don't like the hustle and bustle of hospitals with the possibility of going through several different nursing staff during shift changes and I also had a horrible experience with a spinal tap. When I was getting my tap done the doctor said don't worry its like an epidural (which I had never had one, so at the time it didn't mean anything to me). Well after the tap I ended up with a spinal migraine that left me incapacitated for about a week. The words of the doctor stuck with me... If the tap has similar side effects as an epidural and I was in my room in complete darkness for a week what would I do if I had an epidural for labor and I experienced the same thing? What about my baby and the bonding? It knew that an epidural was out of the question for me. So that is how I ended up wanting to use a midwife.

"I found my midwife through the place we took the Bradley birth classes. I see my midwife for all my prenatal care and I see a doctor for some of my prenatal visits as well. The reasons why I see both is one, being that if things don't go as planned for my home birth I would somewhat know who would be helping deliver my baby and two, is pretty much because it seems to make everyone I know feel better about my decision even though it shouldn't matter. The funny thing is that when you tell people that you see a doctor as a back up it makes them feel at ease even though my doctor really doesn't know me at all.

"From my experience seeing both my midwife and my doctor are 2 totally different things. With my midwife she gave me the time and patience and respect I was looking for. Every prenatal appointment we had was at least an hour long. She really cared about what was happening to my body physically and emotionally. She even wanted to make sure my husband was doing well during my pregnancy. She cared about us as a whole. Even though I felt very educated on pregnancy and child birth my midwife had so much information and real experiences to share that it was better than any reading I could have done. I learned so much from her.

"As for my doctor it is exactly what I try to avoid. It's chaotic and busy and I spend most of my time waiting. I usually end up waiting for at least 15 to 20 minutes before I get to go in a room. Then the nurse sees me first. She weighs me, takes my B.P. and a urine sample. The nurse asks me the usual questions. What meds are you on? Do you have any cramping, bleeding or abnormal discharge? Then she leaves and I wait in the room some more to see my doctor. When my doctor comes in she asks the same cramping, bleeding, discharge question that the nurse already asked me and she asks me how I'm feeling and if I have any questions. Then she measures my uterus and we listen the the baby's heart beat. Then that's it. I get about 5 to 7 minutes with my doctor and I'm on my way.

"I feel somewhat satisfied how the appointments go because I get everything else I want and need from my midwife. I do feel the sense of being rushed while I'm there and feel there is such a lack of personal touch. I also feel like the only information I would get from my doctor is if I brought in a list of questions. (which they wouldn't have that much time to answer anyway) I cant imagine not having a midwife who spends the time to help me learn and prepare as much as possible. I feel like there is so much information women don't get from their doctors unless the woman pursues it.

"I'm not against doctors or hospital births because I feel its important for a woman to do what's comfortable for her. From my experience I think too many women just trust their doctors and do whatever they say and that is not always the best way to go through pregnancy, labor, and delivery. I feel so many women may not being getting the opportunity to learn about birth and pregnancy and what their rights or choices or options actually are.

"I have an amazing relationship with my midwife. I consider my midwife to be a part of my family. She was there for me in all aspects of the most important time of our lives, not only for the pregnancy, labor and delivery but even for questions after the baby was born. I remember calling her a 12am in tears because I was having trouble nursing. I don't know anyone that can call their doctor at that time for that kind of question let alone even calling their doc at all. I tried calling my doctor once before for a question about my child. My daughter had a diaper rash we couldn't clear up. I just wanted to know if there were other creams or natural ways to help other than what we were already doing. Well when I called the nurse took my call and said "I can't give you suggestions without seeing it you need to make an appointment". So I called my midwife, she gave me two suggestions, I tried one and in 2 days the rash was gone.

"Everything I had imagined on how I would want my midwife to be and how I pictured my labor and delivery came true. It was the best experience I have ever had. I am pregnant with my second child right now and due February 7th. Again I see my wonderful midwife and I see the same doctor as well for the prenatals. I love seeing my midwife and love the interaction she has with my first daughter that she helped bring into this world. I am really looking forward to having another home birth with her again."

Physicians Take Anti-Midwife Smear Campaign to the Airwaves

PushNews from The Big Push for Midwives Campaign
CONTACT: Katherine Prown, (414) 550-8025, katie@thebigpushformidwives.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, September 11, 2009

Physicians Take Anti-Midwife Smear Campaign to the Airwaves
Home Birth Mothers, Celebrities, Insulted on National TV

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 11, 2009)—Referring to women who choose to give birth in out-of-hospital settings as “hedonistic” and likening childbirth to a “spa treatment,” members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a trade group representing the professional and financial interests of OB/GYNs, took their anti-midwife campaign to the airwaves in a Today Show segment rife with insults, stereotypes, and misinformation, using one family’s tragedy as a platform for the organization’s well-funded assault against choices in childbirth.

“About the only thing ACOG has right is that women are choosing out-of-hospital deliveries in record numbers,” said Steff Hedenkamp of The Big Push for Midwives Campaign. “What Erin Tracy and other apologists for the group’s anti-midwife position fail to see is that one of the forces driving women to seek out-of-hospital care is the paternalistic, profit-driven model of maternity care that far too many of its own members provide.”

During the segment ACOG reiterated its claim, which has been thoroughly debunked by a large and growing body of medical literature, that out-of-hospital delivery is unsafe. Describing women who choose to give birth in private homes and freestanding birth centers as “hedonistic” mothers who knowingly put the lives of their babies at risk for the sake of an “experience” they believe will be like a “spa treatment,” members of the group echoed last year’s position statement claiming that women who choose out-of-hospital deliveries base their decisions on what’s “fashionable” or “trendy.”

“ACOG clings to this ridiculous fantasy that women choose to deliver their babies outside of the hospital because they want to be like Ricki Lake, Demi Moore or Meryl Streep and that if women would only watch enough fearmongering stories on morning television they’ll be brainwashed back into hospitals,” said Katherine Prown, Campaign Manager of The Big Push for Midwives. “Insulting our intelligence and promoting policies that deny us choices in maternity care are not exactly winning strategies for stemming the tide of women seeking alternatives to standard OB care.”

Earlier this year, a New York City couple lost their baby during a planned home birth under the care of a Certified Nurse-Midwife. Licensed and regulated in all 50 states, Certified Nurse-Midwives are trained to provide hospital-based maternity care. By contrast, Certified Professional Midwives, who undergo specialized clinical training in out-of-hospital birth, are legally authorized to provide care in 26 states, although outdated regulations effectively prevent them qualifying for licensure in the state of New York.

Legislation to license and regulate Certified Professional Midwives is currently pending in an additional 18 states, despite staunch opposition from the American Medical Association, which has joined with ACOG in adopting position statements that would deny families who choose out-of-hospital maternity care legal access to nationally credentialed midwives with specialized training to provide it.

The Big Push for Midwives Campaign represents thousands of grassroots advocates in the United States who support expanding access to Certified Professional Midwives and out-of-hospital maternity care. The mission of The Big Push includes educating national policymakers about the reduced costs and improved outcomes associated with out-of-hospital birth and advocating for including the services of Certified Professional Midwives in health care reform. Media inquiries: Katherine Prown (414) 550-8025, katie@thebigpushformidwives.org

I copied this from The Big Push for Midwives

The Birth Wars: Who's winning the home birth debate?

The Birth Wars: Who's winning the home birth debate?

This is an excellent article that details the home birth debate between the medical community and those who are pro home birth. I found it to be very interesting and informative. I would recommend this article to anyone who is interested in learning more about the pros and cons of hospital vs. home birth, and the research studies (or lack thereof) that are behind the claims on both sides of the issue.

Differences Between Physician and Midwife - My Personal Reflections

I'm 30 weeks along in my pregnancy and doing well. This is my fifth baby, but it is a new experience for me because I am planning my first home birth and working with a midwife for the first time.

I had a prenatal checkup yesterday, and with each visit I am increasingly amazed at the difference in care I'm receiving from my midwife compared to what I've experienced with my obstetrician. At each prenatal visit, my midwife does the urinalysis, checks my blood pressure, weight, measurement, baby's heart rate, etc. She does all of the clinical things that my obstetrician (or his nurse) would do at a prenatal checkup. But she does much more than that.

Visits with my obstetrician generally lasted no longer than 10-15 minutes at the most. The majority of the visit was used for the clinical work I mentioned above, with a few minutes to talk with the doctor. My midwife reserves about an hour for each appointment. Very little of that is taken up by clinical procedures. The majority of the visit is spent talking. There is so much that a pregnant woman goes through. From my personal experience, I feel that the obstetric approach addresses mainly the physical changes in an expectant mother, and the midwifery approach looks at the woman as a whole and tries to address all concerns; including physical, emotional and mental.

My midwife asks questions that I don't remember my physician ever asking (in 4 previous pregnancies). She asks me about my diet, what I had for breakfast, lunch, and dinner the past day. She asks about my family, how my husband and kids are doing and how we are getting along. She gives me nutritional advice to help with my concerns about iron levels, getting enough good nutrition to help me feel better and have more energy. I feel that my midwife really cares about me personally, and that deep sense of care is reflected in the way she talks with me and conducts each prenatal visit.

I have a good obstetrician. He has always taken care of me, answered my questions and addressed all of my clinical needs. I've never had a complaint about him. The difference in care with my midwife is more emotionally fulfilling for me. I can talk with my midwife about anything, but when I go to a physician I tend to keep the questions on a purely clinical or medical level. I also have the comfort of knowing I can call my midwife at any time, with any concern, and she will answer the phone and answer all of my questions.

I'll put it in a nutshell: with my midwife I know that all of my clinical and medical needs are being taken care of as they would be with a physician, but I also have the added security of feeling emotionally and mentally supported as well.

My midwife only attends home births as a midwife. She has 15 years of experience as a direct entry midwife. She is also a doula and attends hospital births in that role, so she is familiar with all different birth settings. I am comfortable with her because I know that her views on childbirth match my own, and I feel completely supported in my plans for a home birth. Our prenatal visits are in her home, which is beautiful and comfortable.

Midwives differ according to their certification, training, office set-up and more. Certified Nurse Midwives only attend hospital births and most often work under the supervision of a physician in an office. In general, CNM's are more clinically focused and may not be able to schedule a long appointment for open discussion, depending on the office procedures and how busy they are. If you are looking for a prenatal care provider, please see my earlier post: Choosing a Prenatal Caregiver: Doctor or Midwife? Please also consider putting together a list of questions and concerns to use in interviewing caregivers and considering your options.