has anyone had a doula/midwife?

yjkim78

considering a more natural birth approach and wondering if any of you have/had a doula/midwife experience, or a birthing center experience?  or if you're planning on going that route as well? 

the more i think about it, barring any very serious medical issues, i believe a delivery should be natural and less clinical.  

thoughts?

KTtheWife

I had a doula and delivered med-free at Celebration Hospital. It was a great experience! I didn't feel comfortable delivering in a birthing center. My MIL did and was rushed to the hospital after due to losing too much blood. Scary! I have to say that the nurses at the hospital were pretty useless. They kept offering me an epidural, but my doula was awesome! I would do it the exact same way for the next child.

yjkim78

KTtheWife:

I had a doula and delivered med-free at Celebration Hospital. It was a great experience! I didn't feel comfortable delivering in a birthing center. My MIL did and was rushed to the hospital after due to losing too much blood. Scary! I have to say that the nurses at the hospital were pretty useless. They kept offering me an epidural, but my doula was awesome! I would do it the exact same way for the next child.

that's great that you had a great experience.  may i ask for your doula's info?  i'm with you on being not completely comfortable in delivering in a birthing center - its just impossible to know when something might go wrong...and quickly.  did you go in saying you would do it med free or that it would be a game time decision?  

g&b&d

Hi there! I haven't been on The Bump in ages, but I stumbled across your post and just had to respond. I had a fabulous natural delivery at Florida Hospital South in Orlando with my first child this past October. If you are considering the natural route, I highly recommend Loch Haven Ob/Gyn. Also Maggie McCarthy in Winter Springs offers a wonderful natural childbirth class. Christina Cowherd was my doula - she offered terrific support, and fortunately the hospital staff was so respectful of our birth plan she didn't really have to play the advocate role. Hope that helps.

DreadLoc

I had a midwife and a doula at The Birth Center in Winter Garden.  It was absolutely wonderful having these two women support me and giving birth at a birth center was great.  The intimacy of a birth center helped make me more comfortable as well, and my little girl was by my side the entire time.

Sydneysmom552

I planned a natural hospital birth with my midwife and doula. Unfortunately I had to be induced due to PreE but I truly believe that I was able to keep to my birth plan and not get an epidural because of my doula. I delivered at South Seminole Hospital and had a great experience with the staff but that was after I made my natural childbirth intentions well known. I totally recommend a doula for a natural hospital birth only because you and DH/DB don't want to have to worry about reinforcing your birth plan during labor. My doula was the go between for us and the hospital staff and she made sure they weren't asking me about my pain levels or if I wanted anything. It truly was amazing.

SGreen04

I am planning on delivering at The Birth Place (a birth center) in Winter Garden. The midwives (Anne and Jenny) there are awesome and I've been extremely pleased with the care I've gotten.

I've also heard good things about the birth center in Winter Park and the one in Sanford (Heart to Heart) but don't have any personal experience with them.

Deciding what's best for your family and what you feel comfortable with is a personal choice. I would say, just do some research, talk to some midwives, and see what is the best fit. GL!