Midwife or OB/GYN

onedopedoula

What did y’all choose and why?

I chose a midwife because as a doula I’ve been able to explore multiple options through my clients and I appreciate the midwifery model of care and I’m just over all not the biggest fan of hospitals.

lajoliedreamer

I had a midwife with my first who I loved. I have since moved across the country and it’s important to me to have a midwife again. I’m even going to a hospital 30 minutes away because of the midwives and birthing center which isn’t a thing at the hospital down the street. 

I saw both midwives and an OB during my last pregnancy and preferred the midwife model of care. 

Linsbins

With a high risk pregnancy I won’t get a choice. Although if I get a natural labor, my hospital has midwives who run the show until you request an epidural. Then they leave you alone until you deliver. 

soprano19

I saw my OB throughout pregnancy with DD, but our hospital had certified nurse midwives on staff and one of them actually delivered her, which I loved. I plan to go the same route this time.

jrouge12

My practice has two OB-GYNs and several midwives. Unless you're high risk, it'll likely be a midwife at delivery. Most of the 9mos with DD I saw midwives at the check-ups, but saw the doctors a couple times too. I like the midwife experience.

ruby696

My OB's practice has OB's and midwives, and I've used the sane midwife for DS and DD. DS required a c-section, so my midwife assisted the OB. Shes also been with me for four of my six losses and she's been amazing. But now she only works Monday and Tuesday, which are the only two days MH can't come to appointments. So I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet. 

lizm1234

Honestly, I've been having a hard time finding anyone during this pregnancy.  It's the only thing that I've cried over so far.  

I've had no success in finding a midwife.  When I called my insurance, they said nothing came up in the system.  I'm not sure if it is covered by insurance.  

I'm hoping that we can afford a doula.  I'm planning to inquire about one at my first OB appointment.  

smashley09

I am from Canada and have decided on a midwife. The care model is so much more involved. The appointments are an hour long, you get their phone number so can text/call them with emergencies. Starting at 36weeks they come to your house for appointments. They have privileges at the hospital so I don’t have to have a home birth, but can go home shortly after delivery as long as everything went smoothly. Then they do the post partum care/checks, breastfeeding support in my home for 6weeks. 
The OB route really wasn’t appealing. I’d be with my GP until 28weeks, then get a referral to an OB, then back to GP after delivery. He’s an awkward man, don’t want to spend that much time with him hahaha. 

catem07

I had an OB with DD and will have one with this baby too. Because to me, why not? When I was 23 I picked an OB who would eventually deliver my baby and she did. 

Amyface813

I’m going with midwife again for #3, no question. They are just much more hands off. They let me make decisions and are super good about giving information about supporting both sides. I had an OB with my first and it was fine too. They were just more pushy and I had one particular doc who I really did not like. 

mokay19

With DD, I saw a midwife for every appointment but I couldn’t commit to for sure not having pain meds so I had the on-call OB for delivery. The OB barely made it into the room on time anyway so it didn’t matter who was delivering 😂
Also, I lost a lot of blood so we’ll definitely be in a hospital again

smashley09

The midwives in Canada are qualified to give pain medication, they just can’t deliver if you’ve had an epidural, but will still be there and take care of you after. They can give nitrous oxide gas and narcotics. 

jhysmath

I went with the midwives for dd. The 3 hospitals (with maternity care) closest to us are all 1.5 hours away from our home. I was lucky to find one with midwives when I found out our insurance wouldn't cover the home birth midwife near us because he practice is in vt even though anthem will cover her if our insurance was from vt.

With dd I worked my ass off after getting diagnosised with gd to keep myself off insulin because if I needed it the midwives had to pass me off to the obs. I was successful, but then dd decided she wanted to stay breech after trying all the things to flip her I had to have a c-section with the obs. I wish we lived somewhere near population so I could have attempted a breech birth with my midwives, but because we are so remote all the hospitals are extra cautious. 

jrouge12

My midwife delivered even though I had had an epidural. At my practice all midwives have to be CNM so maybe that made a difference?

ruby696

That makes sense @jrouge12. My midwife delivered my VBAC baby and assisted in my c-section. Epidurals were involved in both and she's a CNM.

shamrocandroll

My hospital has both, and they are very flexible with allowing you to labor/deliver the way you want, regardless of which path you choose.  I did a lot of my prenatal visits with a midwife with DS, but his delivery ended up being really complicated, and I was happy to have the OB team there for that.  This time around, I'm going with an OB team due to my two previous losses and higher risk.

m6agua

The office I go to has several OB's and Midwives. Last time around I saw my PCP until 28 weeks and then switched to an OB based on my friends recommendation. I delivered at the hospital, uncomplicated with just Nubain. It was a different OB than mine that delivered and they weren't even there until the last second anyway. This time around I am skipping my PCP and going straight to the OB/Midwives and plan to deliver in the same hospital. I have set up my first appointment with a Midwife and would like to see several different people in the beginning. I think I want a midwife this time, but when I mentioned it to DH he was a firm no in case of an emergency. I tried to explain that there is always some OB at the hospital that could step in if necessary. He wasn't even willing to hear what sort of qualifications they have compared to an OB. Well little does he realize, I'm going to go with what I want, and he will just have to get on board.

mokay19

@m6agua since you’re the one seeing the doctor, growing the baby, and giving birth I totally agree that it’s you choice! Especially because you said you’ll be at a hospital anyway. 
I know you said that you’re in Wisconsin, we just moved here last year and I’ve been trying to research some good hospitals. I picked my OB based on proximity to my work, but it’s not necessarily close to our house so I’m trying to re-research hospitals. Any recommendations if you’re in the Milwaukee area? 
^ also a good question for @coopmke

m6agua

@mokay19 I'm not super familiar with the Milwaukee area. I do know Froedtert is a great hospital, but the people I know that have had to go there were not going to have babies. It was for much more complex things like brain surgery and VA stuff. We have Aurora in my area too and I've heard great things, but have no experience.

My hospital is about 15 minutes from my house and it was 45 minutes from where I worked (now I work closer). I chose it because my mom worked there almost my whole life so I was familiar, its the only one in my city with a NICU, also it is one of 2 options that my doctors office partners with. There are 2 other hospitals in my city, but it seemed like more of a hassle to switch practices, literally all of my health information since birth is with the practice I am with. My friend went to my same hospital but lives about 45 minutes away and she arrived on time for birth (1 hour to spare). Really overall, unless you have insanely fast deliveries, hospital distance isn't too big of a deal IMO. Typically you should have plenty of time to get there.

mokay19

@m6agua well, my labor with my first was only 2 hours... so timing/proximity unfortunately plays a large roll! We also will be living in a small town and the closest hospital with a L&D is over 30 minutes away anyway so I just have to be more prepared!

m6agua

@mokay19 That is pretty fast! I hope you find a hospital that works well for you!

splashmountain

I'll be a repeat c-section so I'm going with OB. The OB I had with DS is no longer taking pregnant ladies, but I have an appointment with another one that I've seen before and I think it'll be a good fit.

pirateduck

I'm reading this thread and I guess being  FTM I don't really understand the difference.  There is only one hospital within an hour of my house so I don't feel as though I have much choice in facilities.  At the Women's Care center affiliated with the hospital there are both OBs and a CNM, so I guess maybe I do have a choice there.  So what is the difference and why choose one over the other?  I have had appointments with the CNM in years past for things and I love her and she is one of my favorite people at the office, but I also love my OB.  Also for you ladies making choices do you actually have a choice over who delivers your child?  I can choose to schedule appointments with different staff members, but when the time comes and I'm in labor I'm pretty sure I just get whoever is on call, which could even be someone I've never met (scary thought).  I have to ask my OB about this at my next appointment.

shamrocandroll

@pirateduck Traditionally, midwives were more for people wanting to do non-medicated vaginal births.  In the modern day, there is a lot more overlap/cooperation between midwives and OBs, and a lot more hospitals offer both.  There are a lot more midwives who are also nurses, and more of them are supporting any type of birth vs. only non-medicated.  People with more complex or higher risk pregnancies may want to go with a doctor team, whereas low risk women wanting a more natural approach may choose a midwife.  However, there's so much overlap in so many places now that it doesn't matter too much (in my opinion).  My OB team will allow me to do non-medicated, labor in the tub, etc. and my midwife will allow me to get an epidural.  If things get complicated and you chose a midwife, there is an OB on call for medical intervention if needed.  So really, to me, it's more about what you want your prenatal care to look like.  In my case with DS, he was born at 1AM and the OB on duty was not someone I had seen at my daytime appointments, but at that point it didn't really matter to me.  I just wanted someone to help me get him out safely. 

pirateduck

Thank you @shamrocandroll that helps.  Perhaps after my already scheduled appt. I will make the next one with the CNM.  Then I will have a better feel for both practitioners.

mokay19

@pirateduck that’s what I did with my first... I met with the OB first and then the midwife next appointment and just LOVED the midwife. She was great all during pregnancy and post-partum even though I used the OB for delivery

sbalding88

I'm going with an OB practice. I have PCOS so I have already gotten to know 2 of the OBGYNs there on staff, though I know their practice is to try and have you see multiple different doctors and nurse practitioners while you are there because you don't know who will be on-call when your baby is born. One of my best friends recommended them as she still receives care from this practice, and they delivered her two youngest children in 2016 and 2018, so I feel pretty comfortable sticking with them throughout my own pregnancy. 

jhysmath

Adding to this. Last fall I was my cousins support person in labor (young single mom) through her parents insurance and the place when she could deliver she didn't have the choice of a midwife so she just went with whoever. She'd call me after her appointments and she said she felt like no one ever listened to her and just told her that's pregnancy deal with it. When she was in labor the OB (man with giant man hands) refused to allow her to have an epidural until he checked her and she could not handle the nurse checking her previously. (I cried when she was checked because she looked like she was being raped with how much she tried getting away and he just held her down and forced himself in side of her). When she was ready to push the nurse got the OB and he came in and said well she better be ready I have things I need to do. During contractions he shoved his man hands inside of her and stretched her. When she was crowning he said ok I'm going to give you an episiotimy now which she didn't want and when I stopped him he through a fit and said "You're going against your DOCTORS medical advice??? do I hear that right?" He was absolutely terrible. My cousins mom is a first assist at the hospital and I told her all of this after because I didn't want to upset my cousin with her new baby, and she talked to her about it and my cousin thought she was being dramatic and that's the way he was supposed to be so she felt bad about it. After that horror show I talked her into switching practices and driving further for care because it was so awful. I know there are plenty of good OBs out there, but I guess I just want to say if in your gut you don't like your practice switch no matter how far along you are. I'm not sure if they treated her like that because she was an unmarried teenage mom or if they're like that to everyone.

*TW* still birth
According to her mom earlier that day the doctor had to deliver stillborn twins of a heroin addict. Even though that was probably a terrible thing he had to do, I do think it was right that he treated my cousin the way that he did.

catem07

@pirateduck Also the reason you're seeing most people in this thread say midwife is because a lot of people who deliver with an OB don't really have a reason to articulate. So while from this is seems like everyone sees a midwife, that's not necessarily true. (I use an OB and don't really have a reason, I don't mean to shame anyone else doing the same.)

pirateduck

@jhysmath I agree with your advice about switching doctors.  I switched about a year and half ago and while it was difficult at first and a little frustrating while I had all my records switched over and was trying not to double up on too much in the way of blood work, scans, etc. it was sooooo worth it.  It was probably one of the best things I ever did.  My SIL kept pressuring me recently about "am I sure my doctor is good" and that sort of thing, implying that I needed to see someone else, she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that I had already switched doctors and my current RE (and staff) is amazing and that I couldn't be doing this without them.  I know she has good intentions and wants good things for me, but I found an RE's practice I really like and I'm sticking with it.  BUT the RE is only with me until about 10 weeks, and then I'm fully switched over to my OB's office, soooooo.... 

pirateduck

Another point...  which I think is a piece of this discussion is WHERE you want to deliver.  Different facilities may have different sorts of providers (midwife, OB, etc.) available.  I have decided that for me it is important to deliver at a hospital.  I want to be at a facility that has everything at the ready in the worst case scenario.  I don't want to have to be transported somewhere other than planned at the last minute.  I don't want to have to worry about what ifs and changes etc.  Knowing that they are fully equipped to handle any and everything pretty much means I have much less to worry about.

tmarlee

I had a midwife with my son but was transferred to an OB for delivery as my son was breech and our hospital does not allow for breech deliveries. This time around I have the same midwife and if all goes well I hope to have a birth suite delivery as we live too far from a hospital to feel safe having a home birth.

ruby696

I think it's also important to note that many midwives deliver in hospitals. All the midwives at my practice deliver at the local hospitals. So you don't automatically have to go to a birth center or have a home birth if you want to use a midwife. 

lajoliedreamer

I also want to add that though I’m seeing midwives and prefer them, I’m not at all against OBs. I saw an OB twice with DD and he wound up being the one who delivered because he was there when I showed up with a crowning baby. I had a great experience with him. 

jrouge12

I second what @ruby696 said. That's why I love my practice. It's a mix of three CNMs and two OBs. You get a nice midwife experience. They deliver at an awesome women's L&D hospital. You see everyone before throughout the 9 months. 

rox7777

I’m going with an OB again. DS1 required magnesium shots and weekly monitoring due to preterm labor and DS2 was an emergency CS due to placenta previa. Luckily my OB is super flexible and is fine with the VBAC. My only concern was being pushed into another CS. 

Id love to go the unmedicated route due to back issues, but our state doesn’t currently offer gas and I labored at home with DS1 in the tub until 5cm and it wasn’t my favorite solution. 

mokay19

@catem07 I totally agree that most people that I know that make the conscious effort to choose midwives over OBs is for their reasons.  Where most people that I know that use OBs just do it.  I like medicine and science and I wanted an OB there at delivery.  But I also appreciated all my care during pregnancy and post-partum that I got from someone that happened to be a CNM (I didn't go out of my way to choose a midwife).

And to whoever said that doulas are there for the partner, I totally agree.  We didn't have one, but I felt like the nurses were helping me but also helping DH figure out what to do (get me water, move the pillow, hold my leg, etc.) and that can often be the doula providing that.

chewie5990

I'm going with an OB...I have though a lot about switching to a midwife..but with my new insurance they just don't cover any. I had a c-section with DS (failure to progress) and I'm really hoping for a VBAC this time around...unfortunately I've been told that a c-section w/ failure to progress has a much lower rate for VBAC. It's definitely one of the first discussions I want to have with my new OB at the first appointment, and if her vibe is negative I might look for someone else who is more positive/has more experience about VBACs (my first OB with DS was NOT into VBACs..she pretty must told me "once a c-section, always a c-section" and left it at that. 

remarkable2018

Hoping to go with a midwife who will do home birth for me! We met with her earlier this week and I loved her approach and attitude. 

thepretzelchick

I chose an OB with my first because I was already 25 weeks along when I found out (yes, you read that right) and I knew I wanted all the drugs during delivery. He ended up being an emergency c-section, then my daughter was a RCS. I really love my OB so I stuck with him. I'm looking forward to my post CS Percocet.