More Midwifery Experiences From Real Women

From Lynn,

"My first pregnancy, I started in a group of 5 OBGYNs. When I told them that I was leaving to birth naturally in a birth center, I was told "Good luck. I wouldn't wish that pain on my most hated enemy." They also tried to scare me into rethinking birthing out of hospital. I'm glad I did not listen, because I went on to birth my daughter in a birth center, naturally with a midwife. I had my second baby at home with a midwife. Both experiences were wonderful!"

From Andrea,

"I am currently 30 weeks along with my first and using a midwife for a homebirth. When I compare the experiences my friends with doctors have versus my care the number one thing that stands out is the level of attention and pure just bonding I have with my midwife. Almost every visit is 2 hours long because we chat and get to know each other. My husband is with us every visit because she works around BOTH of our schedules. I have truly created a relationship with my midwife that is more than just routine medical care with a little standard chit chat. The other thing I love is I never feel I am bothering my midwife and I can call her about any little freak out or concern at literally any time. I don't have to wait till the morning if I have a concern at 8:00pm. Overall every meeting with my midwife just ensures even further that I have made the correct choice for my family."

Midwife Ina May Gaskin Talks About Natural Childbirth

The Importance of Prenatal Health Care

Prenatal health care is very important. I found an article in my local news that talks about this:

Importance of 13 Visits to Mom and Baby

I'd like to point out that an expectant mother has the option of going to an obstetrician or a midwife, and the medical care should be adequate from both sources. Both obstetricians and midwives do a urinalysis at each prenatal visit to screen for possible health concerns or complications, as well as check the mother's blood pressure, fundal height measurement, weight gain or loss, and check the baby's heartbeat.

A good obstetrician or midwife will also take time at each visit to talk with the expectant mother about her feelings, her life situation and stressors which might impact her well-being during her pregnancy.

Health care may differ from one care giver to another depending on that caregiver's approach to pregnancy and birth. Obstetricians and Certified Nurse Midwives who practice under the supervision of an OB may be more likely to take a very medical approach by suggesting more screenings and tests than a Certified Professional Midwife or Direct Entry Midwife would. Doctors approach pregnancy and birth as a problem waiting to happen. They spend more time looking for problems, because they are trained to handle emergencies and complications. Midwives generally approach pregnancy and birth by looking at the woman as a whole being and trusting in her body's ability to do what it's designed to do, and less time looking for problems. With this being said, midwives are trained to watch for potential problems and how to handle them if they do come up.

Whether you choose a doctor or a midwife for your prenatal care, and whether you choose to birth in a hospital, birth center or at home, please get the prenatal health care that you need. Learn about the screenings and tests and procedures so that you can make educated decisions about your health care. Remember that the doctor or midwife works for you, and not the other way around.