Pittsburgh Babies
Birthing Center Experience?
Has anyone heard or experienced anything about the Midwives Center at the strip? It sounds great, and we are going for a tour soon, but wondered if anyone had heard anything...
Thanks!
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Re: Birthing Center Experience?
I plan on giving birth there soon!!!
So far the experience has been pretty good. I was a patient of "Mr. Midwife" Patrick Thorton, but he is gone during my due date, so I had to switch.It was either midwives at magee or the midwife center. i choose the midwife center because I like that you don't have to go to the hospital if you have an uncomplicated birth.
The con is that there are 6 midwives, and you don't know who you are getting. I really, really like 3 of them - and the other 2 are good. There is one that I have just not clicked with, but even if I get her, she is very competent and I'm sure she would be great.
The office is generally good - sometimes appointments run late, but you also don't feel rushed during an appointment and have time to ask a lot of questions.
They are all very supportive of whatever your birth vision is, and I generally leave the office feeling really good about how I'm doing and my pregnancy. I've had to call the office a few times to ask questions and they always get back to me quickly, even on weekends.
oh thanks! congratulations on being so close! i'm not due till Feb. 2011 so... just starting to think about it. But I've always preferred the idea of a birthing center and a MW if possible. I told my husband, if I'm sick, I'll go to the doctor. If I'm really sick I'll go to the hospital. He wants me to have access to pain meds. He hasn't toured the birthing center yet though... maybe he will change his mind...
Did your partner have any unease with having the birth there?
He did not have any problems - and after reading up on some things he was totally on board with less interventions. We are both of the mindset that birth is a natural process and it's not really "pain" as in "pain and suffering." Our bodies were meant to do this!
We read "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" and "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" Both are very informative, but they are skewed towards midwives/birth centers and little intervention.
also - check out the natural birth board here.
and remember, it's your body and you should to what's you feel most comfortable with.
I wish you both tons of luck on your coming babies. To the OP I would recommend giving the Midwives at Magee a tour. They do monthly meet the midwive nights where you can get a tour of the birth center at magee and meet most of the midwives. I totally get wanting a free standing center, but I have heard quite a few stories lately where the Midwife Center has been "fine" w/ the moms giving birth at the center until late 3rd trimester and then something comes up where it becomes the decision to go directly to the hospital upon labor beginning and then you don't get the chance at your ideal experience. Sometimes the change of venue seems to make sense, others there have been no complications and it doesn't make sense. Everytime it's happened it seems a really last minute decision that now mom has to rethink her ideals. I think part of the issue is that the OB's that are now overseeing them are a bit more cautious. Mercy is a wonderful hospital though!!! With a great group of Lactation Consultants. So if you don't mind a last minute change w/ or w/o explanation then you're good to go
I will say the Magee experience w/ Midwives is COMPLETELY different than the Magee experience w/an OB. There is no pressure for drugs w/ the midwives, you just always know they're right down the hall if you change your mind.
That's nteresting about Mercy being a bit more cautious than AGH. I have not heard any stories yet from anyone outside the mw's about how things are going. Of course, the mw's are positive about the whole switch - one actually said they wished they would have done it sooner. hmmm...
anyway - I also think it's a lot about how you feel - I would talk to all your options and try to visit them in person. I would have stayed with mr. midwife if he was in town, and he does the births at magee. I agree - from all accounts i've heard - it's totally different there if you are with a midwife. or even have a doula with a traditional OB.
I think you can't go wrong with any of the midwives that have been mentioned in this thread. I had my ds with the midwives at The Midwife Center and had a wonderful experience. I felt the same way about how I clicked really well with a couple of them and not so much with others but I did get one I really liked when I was in labor.
As someone mentioned birthing at Magee with Patrick or the Midwives at Magee is a much different experience than birthing with most of the OB's there.
I don't know that it's Mercy that is more cautious or if it's the new group of OB's they are working with there. The group they were with at AGH they had been working with for a long time so they had a history and now it's kind of like starting over with a whole new group and getting to know everyone's personalities and preferences.
One thing to consider is that if you do have to transfer to the hospital how will you feel about it. Some women have a hard time with that transfer and they feel like they have somehow "failed" so if you think you can roll with the punches well if that happens then I say go for it.
Best of luck making your decision.
A lot of helpful points, thank you everyone! I think we will tour both and make a decision soon. I am so eager to start my care!!! i'm only 7w 5 d so, haven't been to a doctor yet.
It's a good point about TMC to be prepared emotionally and mentally for the possibility of a transfer. It's totally possible and doesn't mean anyone failed. Good to stay open since pregnancy and labor is such a unique journey.