2nd Trimester

If you're planning on going med-free (clicky poll)

What sort of medical professional are you going with?

[Poll]

Re: If you're planning on going med-free (clicky poll)

  • I like the idea of not getting any drugs, but haven't completely decided if that is right for me.  Regardless, I have been seeing an OB all along, and have no desire to stop seeing him when it comes time for the birth.  I voted OB.
  • i have to have a section tho. i think this time around if i didnt have to id like to try a midwife..just not in the cards for us tho :(
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  • I voted for my OB.  I trust him 100%, and he will do what I wish unless absolutely necessary.
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  • I'm currently with my OBGYN but I am now leaning more towards a med free birth (was undecided at the beginning) and didn't know if a midwive would be a "better" way to go.

    I'm concerned about laboring without a midwive/doula at my side since the doc won't be there by my side for the whole process. Anyone else feel the same?

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  • imageskyejo:

    I'm currently with my OBGYN but I am now leaning more towards a med free birth (was undecided at the beginning) and didn't know if a midwive would be a "better" way to go.

    I'm concerned about laboring without a midwive/doula at my side since the doc won't be there by my side for the whole process. Anyone else feel the same?

    I read tons of books b/c I knew DH would be my only support. Husband coached childbirth is a great book. I went natural with DD. It would be easier to have a little extra support. I was unhappy with my "pushing" experience and I think I doula would have been able to fight for me more. It all happened so fast & I feel they bullied me some. So, if you have the money, etc. Try a doula. It can be done without but I think you will have a better overall satisfaction with a doula there to fight for you.

     

  • I switched from my OB to a midwife and it was the best decision I have EVER made!
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  • imagemax1563:
    I switched from my OB to a midwife and it was the best decision I have EVER made!

    Why's that?

    Not being snarky, just genuinly wondering.

  • imageskyejo:

    I'm currently with my OBGYN but I am now leaning more towards a med free birth (was undecided at the beginning) and didn't know if a midwive would be a "better" way to go.

    I'm concerned about laboring without a midwive/doula at my side since the doc won't be there by my side for the whole process. Anyone else feel the same?

     If you are serious about going med free you need to know where your OB stands.  Some are supportive of it, some think you're crazy.  My OB says she is supportive of med free birth, so I'm sticking with her so far.  We are getting a doula both for the support and to help my husband advocate for me. At his own admission he's not sure he would be willing to fight the wishes of the medical staff.  He's been a lot more on board since we started our Bradley classes though.

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  • I'm giving birth at a birthing center which only has nurse-midwives and doulas. I chose it because of their great reputation and statistics with natural birth. I've had two friends give birth there and both loved it. Also, we don't have maternity insurance and giving birth at the birthing center is 1/3rd the cost of going with an OB/hospital (that includes all pre-natal care, the labor/delivery and post-natal care up to 6 months).

     We aren't having a doula, however. DH wants to coach the first labor "on his own". We are taking Bradley classes to assist with that, though :) 

     Phew! Hope that helps. Good luck with your decision. 

     Edits for clarity. 

    DD1 (b. 8/16/2010)
    DD2 (b. 9/04/2013)
    BFP 2/25/12, m/c @ 6w 3d || BFP 8/1/12, m.m/c @ 9w5d
  • imagebeccaga16:

    At my practice you have a CNM (for a normal pregnancy) and a doctor on call for complications. So, we will see all of the practices midwives and doctors at somepoint thoughout the pregnancy in order to become familiar with the "possibilities". I like it a lot because even if the person I choose is unavailable I know who the person stepping in.

    So far I am on track for a birth assisted by a CNM.

    Exactly this! I'm seeing a fantastic midwife as long as my pregnancy is nice and complication free. If anything goes wrong, there's an OB that I already know to step in. 

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  • I live in the wonderful state of MO where midwives have been marginalized for years. They recently won the right to attend births (just last year, I believe) but many practices still don't have midwives in my area. I have an OB who is very pro-natural birth. He says that the female body generally knows what to do, and he's just there to help out in the times that it doesn't or when something is going wrong. 

    I do have a doula as well, who is fantastic and wonderful too! 

  • imageskyejo:

    imagemax1563:
    I switched from my OB to a midwife and it was the best decision I have EVER made!

    Why's that?

    Not being snarky, just genuinly wondering.

    My OB office is great for gyn. visits.  As soon as I got pregnant I figured they would be just as great.  Most of my family uses the same OBGYN/office as I and I had no worries.  At my first visit my OB was very by the book.  He said, "You are going to do this this and this and it will be done this way and that."  

    I wanted more options for myself, such as comfort during L&D, having the choice to be med-free without my OB giving me the side eye, which is exactly what he did, and I wanted the person that sees me for all my visits to help me during my labor, which may or may not be the case for my OB.

    I decided to try out the midwife at their partner practice.  When I met with her she was overly friendly, she had been delivery babies for 30 years, and she gave me the run down of what may or may happen during L&D:

    1.  I will have her cell phone number so I can call her at any time of day or night and she will be the one to answer.  No lazer lines or switchboards, just HER!

    2. I will tell her how long my contractions are and the time in between each and she will decide whether or not I should come into the hospital.  For the most part she said I will labor at home until I am ready to come in to push. (She will make an educated guess on how I sound and what I say on the phone)

    3.  When it is time to come in, she herself will meet me at the front doors of the hospital, we will bypass triage and the room will be all prepped and ready.  I will be in a room with a labor tub and shower, and will be free to bounce on a ball, lay down, get on all four's, sit on a toilet, lay in a tub, lay or stand in the shower, whatever I want to do to ease my labor.

    4.  She will check me and if I'm only 3cm dilated and I'm in excruciating pain and acting like a "wild woman" as she said, LOL, then she is going to suggest an epi, if not, then we can continue on with the med-free plan. (So right there, my options are still very open)

    5.  There will be a board certified OB standing by in case of an emergency C-section or something, where the midwife is not equipped to deliver. (In her 30 years of experience, it has happened twice)

    6.  She told me that there is no such thing as a "birth plan" persay.  We can speak about things we want to do but the baby decides the birth-plan.

    After having this conversation I felt more comfortable about my options.  My number one concern is the baby and delivery it safely, and she is more concerned with me and my baby and our personal needs rather than what a book says.  The OB was way too by the book and treated me the same as every other woman.  I'm not a generalization, nor a statistic.  If I'm more comfortable delivery on all 4's or squatting, then I am going to do it (It's better for delivery anyway because of gravity).  I do not want to be forced to deliver on my back just because it is easier on the doc.

    Sorry for it being so long, but I believe all women should know having a midwife does not mean I'm delivery at home, with a person that is clueless. (most people think lol)

    Those are my reasons for choosing midwife over OB.  Mind you this is all based on personal experience, everyone feels different levels of comfort with different medical personnel; for me, my midwife is the best!

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  • imagemax1563:

    24.  She will check me and if I'm only 3cm dilated and I'm in excruciating pain and acting like a "wild woman" as she said, LOL, then she is going to suggest an epi, if not, then we can continue on with the med-free plan. (So right there, my options are still very open)

    This made me giggle! lol  I was 3cm dilated without a single contraction when I was induced.  The wild woman in me didn't hit until 5cm. :)

    I am doing a MW, but in a free-standing birth center.  She is not a CNM, and I think there is a difference. 

  • imageskyejo:

    I'm concerned about laboring without a midwive/doula at my side since the doc won't be there by my side for the whole process. Anyone else feel the same?

    If it's a big midwife practice, they might not be with you the whole time during labor, either, so make sure you check if you look into MW. Doulas are a really good idea, especially if you think you want someone to be around the whole time. I think it helped me and DH a ton, bc I had someone who knew when to suggest I change positions, and DH had someone who had seen labor and birth before, and was able to reassure him that what I was going through/how I was acting was totally normal.

    I think there are OBs who are open to what a woman wants, and midwives who aren't, but in general MW will be more open to at least med-free labor.

    This was posted on here sometime last week, so you  might have seen it before. It's good info about finding out how open your provider is to labor/birth options. hth 

    https://www.themidwifenextdoor.com/?p=769

    DS1 - Feb 2008

    DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)

  • imageskyejo:

    I'm currently with my OBGYN but I am now leaning more towards a med free birth (was undecided at the beginning) and didn't know if a midwive would be a "better" way to go.

    I'm concerned about laboring without a midwive/doula at my side since the doc won't be there by my side for the whole process. Anyone else feel the same?

    Yes. I felt the same way too. That's why I just changed OB practices. I just didn't feel like my current OB of 5 years (although I love her!) or the hospital she was affiliated with was the right place for my childbirth experience. I had this feeling that I would get railroaded into unnecessary interventions and/or a c-section.

    My new OB has midwives on staff, and they are the ones who tend to the water births (my goal). The hospital also have volunteer doula's on staff.  It was a leap of faith to change practices in the middle of prenatal care, but I feel very comfortable about my decision.

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