Natural Birth
beachcomberbride
member
Options
Midwife
beachcomberbride
member
I'm due in February and am going to start selecting a midwife this week. For those that had midwives, how did you ultimately choose them? What swayed you the most about a specific person over another? Cost, attitude, education, number of births attended? Thanks for the help
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Midwife
MMC 01/26/12
MC 12/25/12, D&C 01/05/13
BFP 03/05/13, EDD 11/12/13. HB 175 @ 9w2d. Its a Girl!
DX with EA/TEF Type C & Tracheomalaysia
MC @ 13wks 01/15/15
BFP 1/11/18, EDD 9/21/18
Well, there's only one HB midwife in my area. I'd have to travel 2ish hours to get to the next one, so it was a pretty easy choice.
That said, my MW has 40 years of experience with no serious complications for any mom or baby in her care, so I was pretty confident. If she was inexperienced or had had several bad outcomes, we would have pursued other options.
We interviewed a few midwives and ultimately picked the one that suited our personalities best and that I was most comfortable with. Cost was pretty much the same across the board so that was not even a factor. Distance to come into our conversations a little bit but wasn't the deciding factor.
They should all be willing and able to meet with you before you make any decisions so you'll get a feel once you start meeting them! Good luck!
I knew from the first few minutes with my midwife she was going to be who we chose. We just shared a common philosophy about birth, and I agreed with everything she does. She wasn't as experienced as I would have liked, but her background made up for it (she is a former Army medic, and her partner is a former trauma MD). Dh and I are both very scientifically minded, realistic people, and were looking for a midwife that was as down to earth as we were.
The bottom line is, you'll know when you meet her. Have a general idea of the kind of birth you want, and make sure she can help you get there, and it helps when personalities and expectations match.
Chemistry.
We both felt the midwives we chose could be friends with us and that influenced our decision more than anything.
I googled midwives in my area. I read my midwife's bio online, and called her for an interview. The connection that we had at our first meeting was what ultimately led me to choose her over an OB. It was her calm demeanor. I couldn't help but feel relaxed and at peace around her. It was a special connection. We also share the same beliefs about God. Prayer was going to be a big piece of what she did. That was a plus for me.
I am using a different midwife this time, as my first midwife is on maternity leave. This midwife is very similar. It is very important to be sure there is a connection there. If you feel uncomfortable with them before birth, then that will not help when you're in birth.
I see all the midwives there are 4 or 5. I really like the rotating schedule. So you can learn different perspectives and will know everyone would could possibly be present at birth.