OB VS Midwife for hospital birth

luvU2theMoon

I am going to be delivering in a hospital, one that is some what religious and is very pro natural birthing. i am 15 weeks pregnant and i have met my ob once and i only see her every other month and then i see a NP between the OB my OB is nice and i am comfortable with her and she said shes up for what ever birthing plan i want. However i am debating switching to a MW  just because i have heard its better to have a midwife if your going natural. does anyone have a opinion on this? did you prefer MW over OB or those that had OB did you feel good and supported by your OB in your plan?

barista411

I go to a practice that is half MWs and half OB and you can choose which route you want to go. I went with the MW route because they are much more hands on and focused on getting to know me. I have had an absolutely wonderful experience with MWs. They are great about answering questions and really getting to know what I want out of my birth. My MW was by my side my entire labor and an incredible source of encouragement and support.

aylafsu88

I went to a large practice (8 OBs) and delivered in a hospital.  The practice I went to was natural birth friendly and I saw one main OB for most my visits.  I went into labor at 39 weeks 5 days and delivered with the on call OB.  He was one I had never met and he was excellent.  I showed up at 6 cm and delivered LO in less than 2 hours so things moved quickly.  He was very respectful of my wishes and did everything he could (massage wise and warm compresses) to reduce the degree of my tear since LO had a nucal hand.  I think the big thing with OBs is to find one who is natural birth friendly.  Many OBs are trained to be doctors and surgeons first which is why they usually push interventions.  However, there are those out there who prefer to be supportive like a MW and only step in/suggest interventions when needed.  The thing is you have to find the OBs like this.  It sounds like your OB is respectful of your wishes.  GL!

bornmommy

One of the reasons I switched to a MW was because of the reason you mentioned above and also because I was guaranteed said MW at my delivery.  I was very happy with the switch and will be delivering at a hospital again only because she is a CNMW and doesn't do home births.  In my experience, my MW was more understanding, had better bedside manner, and all around better attitude towards my plan than any of the OBs at my practice.

Nechie122

I think it depends on the OB. I had one that was really encouraging during my natural birth; in fact, when I was begging for an epi in transition, she was the one who gently reminded me that I had wanted to go natural. And I did.

There are a lot of pros to working with a midwife: you're more likely to have someone who supports your birth philosophy, they generally spend more time with you, they may (or may not -- depending on the group) deliver their own patients.

For me, the pro of working with an OB is that I didn't want to be transferred out if I faced a complication. I wanted to minimize the number of unfamiliar doctors I would have to see in the event of an emergency; I didn't want a stranger performing my c-section, if it came to that.

The ideal for me would be a practice with both OBs and MWs, working with a MW, but barring that, I went with a pro-natural OB group.

iris427

The individual matters a lot more than the title. Some doctors are great about supporting natural births and some midwives aren't. There is a midwife here who told a client her shoe size was too small for a vaginal birth. So find someone you can trust and don't worry what letters come after their name.

greenmama2013

I went to an OB with my first, and just felt like it wasn't personal enough. I didn't always see her, and wasn't really guaranteed she'd be the OB to deliver my baby. This time around I went with a midwife, and I have to say it has been MUCH more personalized care. She's awesome--I see her, and only her at every appointment, she listens to all of my concerns, and I don't feel like just another number. If I ever have a third, I will do the same. Just my input! 

luvU2theMoon

Thank you ladies! i really appreciate it! i am switching over to a midwife. shes not guaranteed to deliver me but it seems like most obs and midwives around here are not guarenteed to deliver but i just feel like i might have more of a personal expirience with a midwife. thanks for all the suggestions

wtfisup

I'm using a certified nursing midwife (CNM) based out of a practice with 3 CNMs and 2 OBs, and they deliver in a hospital. The OBs are only there to do the USs and in case something goes wrong. 

I began with an OB I loved: I've seen him for years for routine female care. He's great. But I knew I wanted a natural birth, a birth where I could control positions, and a person who would really walk me through pregnancy. I'm a first-time mom with a history of anxiety/depression, so I needed a supportive caregiver. My MW is also in my circle of friends, and she's amazing. For instance, at today's appointment at 9 weeks she said, "You're not scheduled to come back for another 4 weeks, but it's been 2 weeks since your ultrasound. If you want to come back in a couple of weeks just to pop in, we can let you here the heartbeat with the doppler. It's optional, but it might give you peace of mind." I thought that was a really sweet level of care. 

mrsblueeyes

It's a personal choice for sure.  I stuck with my OB group since I was high risk and they knew my history well, they were great for regular prenatal care and I was happy with all 3 OBs in the practice.  That said, they never once discussed my birth plan or what I wanted out of the birth. Lucky for me, I ended up delivering with my nurse, doula and husband since the OB didn't make it on time.   So yes, I ended up with the med-free birth I wanted but I don't know what would have happened had the OB gotten there earlier.  Next time I would go with a MW group delivering out of a hospital.