Midwife, OB, etc? Prenatal and birthing options

JoSupernaw

Hi All, first time mom and I'm so confused about all my prenatal care and birth options. Any good reads to clear this up or advice?

mb0112

I chose a midwife because I *think* I want a natural birth and they tend to be supportive of that if you have a low risk pregnancy. I've never liked doctors much and felt like a midwife was a more comfortable option and they have tons of experience with birth because that's all they do! Versus OBs who have trained in surgery, tend to favor interventions, and may spend less time with you one on one.

That being said, there are many doctors who have those qualities I like in a midwife. And when it comes down to it my midwife can offer me pain meds if needed and pass me off to a doctor for interventions like a c-section if needed.

The Business of Being Born is a documentary that very much favors midwives and natural birth. So it's biased but informative about what all this stuff is.

cMichelle0423

I used an OB for my last two pregnancies, and decided I wanted to use a midwife for this pregnancy. I hated the hospital experience. And I hated the OB experience if I'm being perfectly honest. If you're looking for a more personal care giver, MW is your best bet. If you're okay with pushy doctors and crappy hospital procedures, then go with an OB.

My best advice is to do your own research. I talked to a lot of women in my area about both and went from there. I already had a good idea of what to expect with an OB so I set up a consultation with my MW and did a tour of the birth center and made my decision based on what appealed to me more and what would work best with what kind of birth I wanted.

kynbar5

I've used an OB in my previous 5 births and am doing the same this time (I've kept the same dr). I think if you want to go the OB route you just have to do some research and pick the right one for you. I happen to have found a wonderful OB that is extremely hands on, respectful and personable. I know that tends to be rare but they are out there. Like I said, you just have to check them out and possibly meet a few. I would decide the way you want to go (ob, midwife, ect.) and go from there. Everyone's experience most likely will be different so in the end stick to what you want! Good luck!

Edited for clarity.

LyndseyJill

I started out with an OB for my first pregnancy and then ended up switching to a midwife, personally, best decision I ever made. They were so much more hands on with me and I didn't feel like I was just another patient. I planned on having a natural pregnancy and all that, but ended up with an epidural. She was very supportive of all of my decisions. I'm actually currently pregnant with baby number 2 and am at a different facility and just found out that they don't have any midwifes. I'm super bummed about this and have been looking into other options. One of the things I'm actually looking into, is a birthing center. The only thing that is a bummer about that, is that my insurance would cover costs at an out of network expense and that could get really expensive. You could set up meetings with both an OB and MW and talk about what kind of pregnancy/birth you would want and see what ones appeals to your needs more. 

mandysfestival

I'm on my 2nd pregnancy and I'm sticking with my ob that I had first. I absolutely love my 2 doctors and they always make me feel taken care of. Also, the nnurses I had in that hospital were awesome. You just have to explore and meet with people and see what works best for you

soxfan9968

It only takes a few bad ob's to give all of them a bad name. I love mine. She's been my doc for 10years and I'm a ftm. She's always been very patient with my non-stop mountain of questions and has been very reassuring when I've felt anxiety. Had my first official appt for my pregnancy with her on Thursday but it's not the first time she's taken time to see me. 2 weeks before my appt she made time to speak to me for a few minutes and answer my questions about what I should be doing and whether or not I could keep exercising. When I went in for the my appt. this Thursday, she'd made me a cute little goodie bag which included the book What To Expect When Your Expecting, salt tablets and energy chews that she approved of(I'd previously asked about using them for my long distance running), little baby trinkets (baby brush, bib, etc.), pamphlets with info about my birthing options. I found it incredibly thoughtful that she obviously put forth the effort to customize it for me. I think she's very hand on.

kynbar5

@soxfan9968 I agree so much. I LOVE my ob. I feel like you're either going to find one you just can't live without or you're going to loathe them. I've never heard a "well my ob's just okay" story lol.

shelbibrooke82

I had my DD at an Indian hospital and they are very holistic...they do have OB's but more MW!! I was very nervous at first a/b using a MW because I knew I did NOT want a natural birth! She was with me from 32 weeks till birth and I LOVED her!! she was very up front and honest, she allowed an epidural and walked me through everything!!

My sister used an OB and had a great experience so it really is all about who you get and the connection you get with them!! I will be using the same MW with this one!!!

soxfan9968

kynbar5 said:

@soxfan9968 I agree so much. I LOVE my ob. I feel like you're either going to find one you just can't live without or you're going to loathe them. I've never heard a "well my ob's just okay" story lol.

Clearly, I'm an obnoxious control freak and in a worse case scenario, I'd like to have a relationship with the person that may have to preform surgery on me.

kynbar5

@soxfan9968 lol there's nothing wrong with that!