@EmEeGee you're right! I just have a feeling that once it starts creeping up towards the end of pregnancy that I'll be shuttled to an OB and I rather have that continuity of care.
I am strongly considering hiring a doula though. Did a precursory search in our TTC phase and didn't find many in the area but now that we are officially pregnant I'll have to look harder.
Trigger warning in signature...
Me: 33 DH: 37 Together since 2010, Married August 2014 TTC: Off and on since April 2015 Diagnosis: Severe MFI 1/15/2017: FET #1, successful. Baby boy delivered via c-section 9/30/17 1/2/2018: FET #2: BFN
@Cythe@mommac2017 I am currently in the process of looking for another doula, hopefully I can find one thats not too cheap. I wish I would have taken my doula course when I was supposed to... I could have been my own doula
I'm going with a midwife. I really love all the personal care and attention I get from mine. I can text her anytime and she's very good at responding back to me as long as she's not with a client. But even when I have had scares, she gets back with me almost immediately. She's spoken with me several times on the phone and has fit me in to do labs on her lunch break. She even prays with me. I had a MC in Dec and she called the OBGYN she sometimes has to refer high-risk clients to and she got me in to see him immediately. So I know if there is any concern in that regard, she works very closely with a very good OBGYN and she would make the best and safest decision on transfer of care if it ever came to that.
@azerimama I'm so glad you had such a great experience with your midwife. The reasons you choose her over an OB are exactly why I'm choosing a midwife too. Great to hear of it going so well
I was lucky to find a practice that has both! I see my midwife regularly for all my appointments, but there is a doctor at the practice so should I go into a high risk pregnancy or need a C-section, the doctor would take over but my midwife would still be with throughout my birth!
I love our midwife! I used an OB with our first and had a home birth with a midwife with #2 and I will never go back to a hospital birth if medically possible! Everything about labor/delivery/postpartum was easier with #2, and i really think it's because I was at home and relaxed
I live in a really liberal city and my practice has OBS and midwives, all really great and open to whatever birth experience you want. I love my OB that I saw for DS, she's also been my GYN for years. But I've also had great experiences with one of the midwives there. My first appt is with my OB but I'm considering switching it up.
It's actually nice to get to know the different doctors in the practice. For delivery you get whoever is on call that day. The one who delivered DS was amazing and so supportive through three hours of pushing.
We will be using a midwife this time around. I loved my OB before getting pregnant the first time. I expressed to him my wishes for an unmedicated birth with as minimal intervention as poasible, no episiotomy, induction etc. He was on board my entire pregnacy until I hit postdates. On my due date he said I had to schedule induction for 41 weeka because the risk of stillbirth goes up. I wasnt extremely educated prior to my first birth which is embarassing to admit as an RN... but I was trusting my providers. So i was scheduled for induction at 41 and 2. I had my induction, laboted naturally, had my doctor "check me" and I believe intentionally break my water to speed things up, ended up asking for an epidural because nobody suggested i could possibly be in transition. By the time they set the tray up and started to try to numb my back i was ready to push so no epidural.... my husband was kicked out for epidural so i had to call him in the middle of trying to push out a baby and praying he made it back... doctor gave me an episiotomy that was stage three almost turned stage 4 that interrupted my sex life for 6 months and made it so painful to care for my newborn for the first 8 to 10 weeks. It was an awful experience.... i wasnt heard... things were done to my body that I did not consent to. I try not to think of it as a bad experience because it gave me my beautiful baby boy.. but I would never ever ever let that happen to me again.
My advice to everyone is to know what you want an advocate for yourself. I am a nurse and an excellent patient advocate but when it came down to someone telling me "theres a greater risk of stillbirth" my brain stopped thinking and I decided something that changed the entire course and memory of my delivery. Stand strong... you can have whatever birth you choose. Lots of love and hugs.
I switched to a midwife from an OB with my first pregnancy at 24 weeks. Best decision ever!!! She stayed with me my entire labor and was a HUGE help. She talked to during my appointments rather than just rushing me out the door and dismissing my questions like my OBs had done. And she didn't just rush in for the delivery of my son, she was there the whole time for support for me and DH. And midwives are trained to do everything an OB can do, except surgery. But delivering in a hospital, I knew I could have an OB available if a cesarean was necessary.
Midwife all the way! Did this with my first and thenattention during the pregnancy as well as After was amazing. Such frequent visits and theybreturned my paranoid phone calls within 5 minutes. Plus the home visits for weeks after my son was born were awesome.
@momtobe613 Thanks for telling your story! I feel like some doctors guilt and scare women into doing what they want them to do, which is not fair at all
With my first pregnancy I saw an OB, and a midwife with my second. The difference in care is what is making me stick with my midwife again. I did have gestational diabetes with my second, and ended up seeing a specialist, but ultimately I was able to stay under my midwife's care as long as my GD was under control.
Re: Midwife or Ob/GYN
I am strongly considering hiring a doula though. Did a precursory search in our TTC phase and didn't find many in the area but now that we are officially pregnant I'll have to look harder.
Together since 2010, Married August 2014
TTC: Off and on since April 2015
Diagnosis: Severe MFI
1/15/2017: FET #1, successful. Baby boy delivered via c-section 9/30/17
1/2/2018: FET #2: BFN
It's actually nice to get to know the different doctors in the practice. For delivery you get whoever is on call that day. The one who delivered DS was amazing and so supportive through three hours of pushing.
My advice to everyone is to know what you want an advocate for yourself. I am a nurse and an excellent patient advocate but when it came down to someone telling me "theres a greater risk of stillbirth" my brain stopped thinking and I decided something that changed the entire course and memory of my delivery. Stand strong... you can have whatever birth you choose. Lots of love and hugs.