How far would you travel for a MW?
The closest midwife to us is 3 hours away. DH thinks it's ridiculous to even consider going that far, and says that a birthing center has nothing more to offer than our local hospital... the whole thing is very frustrating.
Our 'OB' clinic (which is comprised of GPs, we have no actual OB in our town) is very impersonal. There are 4 different doctors that cycle through the patients. I had only met my doctor twice before she delivered DS, and now she isn't even there anymore.
I would love to hire a midwife, but I cannot imagine traveling 3 hours in labour, and what happens if my water breaks at home? What if I think I'm in labour and it turns out to be a false alarm?? There are so many pros and cons, it makes my head hurt.
I'm just wondering what everyone else would do in my situation. Or how far you travel to your midwife.
Re: How far would you travel for a MW?
I wouldn't be willing to travel that far. Not just for the labour aspect, but for all the pregnancy care.
Also does this midwife offer any after-birth care? is she willing to travel that distance?
My midwife came to see me every day for the first 5 days and then twice a week for a couple of weeks, then once a week until she was 6 weeks old. That care and support was invaluable. I doubt she would have travelled 3 hours for me.
Elizabeth 5yrs old Jane 3yrs old
I travelled just over 2 hours for our midwife. I made the trip for all my prenatal appointments, and the drive during labor was not bad to be honest, probably because I KNEW it was going to be a while and as soon as I was sure it was labor we left home. I was prepared to make the drive a time or two for false labor if that was the case, but at 40w 5d I was sure it was real when it started. I did have a relatively fast labor too, for a first anyway. Woke up and had a contraction at 4 am, by the time DH got back home from work and I had started timing them and decided to leave it was 6:30 AM, got where we needed to be just after 8 (DH drove slightly faster than he was supposed to, ha!) and Brynn was born at 1:41 PM. We got home at 6:30 that night. As for post partum and baby visits they typically like to see mamma and baby the first 5 days, but because we were doing so well we only drove back on day 3, then day 5, then 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks, and 6 weeks. We had back up plans for if we hadn't been doing well and wanted to stay closer right after she was born, I had a SIL who lived in the city that we could have stayed at if my MW would have wanted me near.
Was it a pain in the a$$? Yep. Did it cost significantly more driving there and back for all of my appointments(over the winter, driving a gas guzzling truck)? Yep. Was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY. Worth every penny and then some. I will do it again. Simple as that.
Is there anyone you know that lives near the birthing center that you could possibly stay with once you are closer to your due date? Or that you could stay with after LO is born for a day or two if they want you close??
If I really felt the need for a care provider (I would only see a midwife) and none were close (or I lived somewhere where midwifery was illegal or homebirth for that matter) I would go all the way to Tennessee to The Farm! It would be like going to Mecca for me! LOL
So 3 hours is nothing in my mind. Maybe something can be arranged right before labor, like staying closer to her or some other arrangement so it's not the full 3 hours.