Vent/Frustrated/Need advice.......
So I just finished with my 20wk appt and was told by my Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) that Southdale is now in limbo about implementing a midwife program at the hospital that they were once on board with........so I'm back to the drawing board as far as where to deliver. Since my provider is a CNM and needs to take her regular clinical visits during normal business hours I never had a high probability that she would deliver me but now I feel that my chances are slim to none. So since I'm being shipped off......where should I go?? My CNM has done deliveries at Regions (St. Paul) and it appears that St. Francis in Shakopee already has a midwife program....and according to my insurance I can go where ever I want.....so do I explore Woodwinds, St. Joe's??? I live fairly close to all the hospitals so it doesn't make much difference. I'm just bummed and feel like I will really just be a "number" and not really have any raport with those who deliver me but I guess I won't be the first woman to have that happen!
Anyway, I'm going to be p*ssy for a little while and then get over it.
Re: Vent/Frustrated/Need advice.......
I didn't have the best experience at St. Joe's, but that was due to the nursing staff only. The Healtheast MW's are fantastic and I should know, seeing as I had about 5 differents ones throughout labor due to shift changes. : )
The odds that the MW you see for checkups actually delivering you IS pretty slim. But seriously, it's not that big of a deal. My MW - Anne Johnson, was at a convention when I went into labor, and Kerry Dixon actually delivered me. She was just as awesome as Anne, and made me feel like I really mattered. And as soon as Anne returned, she visited me at the hospital to see how it went.I can't say enough good things about those two.
If it's really important to you, the Healtheast Midwives offer a "Meet the Midwives" event to familiarize you with all of them, which I highly recommend. And I'd deliver at Woodwinds, if I could do it again.
I've heard good things about Woodwinds and North Memorial.
If you want to do the natural route in a home-like setting, there's a birthing center opening up here in the Twin Cities through the company, "Morning Star." I just called them today and am waiting to hear back from a midwife to set up an appointment for an interview! The only draw back with them is that they'll likely be Out of Network for your insurance and you'd have to request them making an exception for your midwife to be considered In Network... (They do, however, for a $15 fee, offer to figure out your benefits and attempt to get the In Network benefits for you -- but I was told you'd have a better chance of getting the In Network benefits if you ask, not their billing company.) Their website can be found in a post I posted a while back, "Birthing Centers in MN" -- someone gave me their website and that's how I contacted them.
I hope that helps!! Good luck!?
I agree 100% about the wonderful HealthEast Midwives! But I did thankfully have a wonderful experience at St. Joe's (including the nurses) and look forward to delivering there again.
I did not have my "clinic" MW deliver me at Regions as she only rounded at the hospital on Wed, Thurs, and Sat. I delivered on Tuesday...but it was ok, all the MW's were super cool and the one that delivered my baby was actually really cool and had my similar sense of humor so it made it much more relaxing.
I delivered at St Joes and the nursing staff was wonderful. What does your MW recommend?
Do you have a doula? What does she think? If you are worried about just being a number, for sure you need one. She will be there for you and only for you during the delivery. Some even stay provide postpartum visits.
I would go and tour the hospitals and then look at the providers and interview them to see what you are most comfortable with . If you indeed want a MW, go to a hospital that has a program associated with it, as you already know.
If you chose to go with the WW or St Joes MW's you will not be just a number, you will get to know your MW's and they will make sure you have her (or her partner) at your delivery.
I saw the midwifes at HCMC and loved my experience with them. I strongly agree with their vision of care to the whole prenatal, labor, and postpartum experience. https://www.hcmc.org/midwives/index.htm
Plus, I thought it was comforting that they provide a home-birth atmostphere within a level 1 trauma center. So if anything goes slightly wrong they have every resource to back them up. We actually ended up needing the NICU serivces but I had 100% confidence in their care for me and my baby. When we plan to have more children, I don't think I will go anywhere else.
My SIL though saw a midwife and then delivered at Abbott and had a wonderful experience. A friend of mine delivered with the midwifes at St. Joes and has a great experience too.
I guess you can find positive and negatives about everyplace so I would just go meet with the different care providers and see which one fits within your beliefs. For us, it was HCMC.
We are planning to deliver at HCMC, although I don't like it being the county hospital, the CNM are awesome! I couldn't be happier. I switched from a doctor to the midwife network at 20wks, cause my doctor turned out to be pregnant, due a week after me. They have about 12 CNM and their own private wing of the hospital down the hall from LandD, so you are not far in an emergency. They even allow and are set up for waterbirths. The CNM work as a team, so you might have someone different from who you see at one of the clinics. My only advice is don't go to the Sharidon Women's Clinic for office visits, the receptionist is incompetent, and frustrating, but we go to Hennepin Care North, and LOVE IT! So if you don't mind getting up to the Midwife wing through the scary ER, you should check it out. The midwifes are having a meet and greet soon, and you can meet all of the midwifes at once. Check out the Childbirth collective they have details.