New Mexico Babies
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Birth Centers
Hi. I was wondering if anyone has used a birthing center in NM. I only know of two, one in Albuquerque and one in Taos, both of which are about 1.5 hours from my house. If you've been to one of these places or know someone who has, I'd love to hear your experience. I'm not terribly thrilled about hospitals because many women I know have had bad hospital birthing experiences.
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Re: Birth Centers
A lady I know went to the one in Taos and had a good experience from what I know.
I had DS at the birth center in Taos. I also live about 1.5 hours away (in Los Alamos) and it was totally worth the drive. I saw the local OB until about 30 weeks at which point I decided I didn't trust her and didn't think I could get the birth that I wanted in a hospital.
It was a little big of an annoyance to have to drive up there for all the appointments, but I always made them late in the day and DH and I would have dinner out before coming home. The birth center is a group of three midwives and I liked all of them. They do train midwifery students, and the students are usually there for your appointments and the birth. Here is my birth story and my husband's. I love talking about our birth experience, so please snd me a message if you have any questions.
Thank you so much. I live in Los Alamos too, and though I haven't even scheduled a prenatal visit yet (only 4 weeks pregnant), I'm not excited bout the options in town. The Women's Health Services web page is uninviting, and after doing research I found that the Health Center had previously hired an OB with a shady past who caused the death of one infant in town! Even though the OB no longer works there, that freaked me out.
I loved reading your birth story, and it made me a little teary eyed. It's the first one I read. Thanks for sharing so much information. I will definitely have more questions later. I'm going to call the Birthing Center in Taos today.
Did you get ahold of the birth center? I was able to go up just to visit and tour the center, one of the midwives spent over half an hour with us just talking before we even decided to go there for our birth. Good luck
I did call them. I scheduled my first appointment for September 1st. Can't wait. I've been considering them for a while so I decided to just go ahead and make an appointment for my first prenatal visit--since I'll have to drive down anyway. I'm in grad school and taking my PhD exams in Sept., so as bad as it sounds I wanted to spend the least time possible on prenatal stuff until I'm done with the exams. I can't wait till the exams are over and I can just focus on baby stuff.
BTW, I also had my husband read your husband's birth story. He's a Broncos fan too so I thought he might identify with it
I think reading it made him even more excited about the baby.
Great! There isn't really much that they do this early anyway, just talk and take your blood pressure. How far along will you be at your appointment?
My husband laughed and said "good" when I told him your DH liked his birth story.
What college are you getting your degree through? And in what?
I'm going to UNM main campus, and I'm getting the degree in English (specializing in 19th-century American lit). It's a lot of driving, but I only go in 2-3 days a week. By the time I have the baby I'll just be working on my dissertation, though I will still also be teaching at that campus.
I'll be about 7 or 8 weeks pregnant when I have my first prenatal visit. I was a little surprised because so many posts on the bump say that they got to hear the baby's heart beat at 8 weeks, but when I asked a friend who gave birth at UNMH, she said they didn't have any sonograms until much later. Perhaps other bump posters just have high-tech health insurance.
Are you working or do you stay at home? Are you originally from Los Alamos? I grew up in Albuquerque, but moved here when my husband got a job with Lab security.
That is a lot of driving, but should be worth it
when do you expect to graduate?
I didn't start at the midwifery center until 3rd tri, so I don't know their policies, I'm actually curious to hear from you once you go. I had several early ultrasounds at the OB, once at 5.5 weeks for bleeding, one at 8 weeks to check gestational age and one at 12 weeks for the NT scan, then my last one at 21weeks. My best friend came with me to an appointment when she was 9weeks, the midwives used the doppler on her and we heard the HB for a second, but then they couldn't find it again, so I guess that is the low end of when you have a chance of finding it.
I work 3/4 time as a biologist at the lab, it gives me a little more time with David which is great. My husband grew up here, but I grew up in Alaska, we met in college at NM Tech.
My husband and I both graduated from Tech! Love the school and the town. :-) He works at Sandia now and I'm a SAHM. We're up in Los Alamos every few months to visit DH's grandparents--it's such a neat town, I think we would have been pretty happy there if he had gotten a job at LANL instead.
To OP-- I went to the Women's Specialist of NM in Albuquerque (they deliver at Pres), and had an u/s at 12 and 20 weeks, and got to hear the heartbeat for the first time around 11 weeks.
Thanks. I'm so impatient about everything. I want to hear the heart beat and especially know the baby's sex NOW! Oh well, there's lots of time for that.
Los Alamos is a pretty nice town. I miss living in Albuquerque because I'm used to being in a city. I love the weather here though, much more rain and snow.
LostAspen - When did you graduate? I finished in December of '02, DH graduated in May of '01.
I love living in Los Alamos, it is such a safe, friendly community.
The first tri was definitely the more nerve wracking for me, it was much better once I started to feel him move regularly, but I can't say I wasn't a bit nervous the entire pregnancy. Good luck!
Hi I'm so glad I found this thread. I live in Los Alamos as well, and am due Dec 21st. I'm a bit undecided about where to give birth - currently I'm going to the Women's Health Center and have been planning on going to the LAMC for the birth. But I'm very interested in the Taos Birth Center. I worry though about having to drive to Taos in late December in potential snowstorms!
The Women's health center has been good so far for my prenatal care. I've been seeing Jeanne Malchow, and Dr Combs did my amnio which went super well. My worry is that I don't really get to see the LAMC facilities till the birth classes which start in late October. What if I don't like their philosophy or facilities? Also I have no idea if I get a midwife or a doc for the delivery - I'd prefer a midwife. I guess I should ask some questions at my next visit.
DS was born December 20th
We were also worried about driving through the valley to Taos in the snow, but we got lucky, were was only one appt that we weren't sure we were going to make. I have a 4wd suv, which made me a little less worried.
I went to Women's Health until about 32 weeks and took the birth class at LAMC. We had actually already decided to go to Taos before the birth classes started, but we figured it wouldn't hurt to do those anyway. The hospital has a decent setup, the babies always room in, though the nurses say they will hold the babies while you sleep if you want. I have heard that Dr. Combs is very pro epidural though. As of last year Jeanne wasn't delivering anymore, are you sure that has changed?
I don't know who delivers there - I have my week 24 appointment next Tuesday so I'm going to ask Jeanne questions about who does deliveries, etc. I really would like to do a natural birth and the more I read, the more it sounds like doctors tend to overreact or you know what I'm saying -- do epidurals, fetal monitoring, etc.
I was wondering if Jeanne has time to do any deliveries since it seems like she is probably busy most of the time with prenatal and women's health appointments. If she stopped delivering last year then it's probably still the situation. I really haven't been on top of things in terms of asking questions about delivery so far! I think maybe I'll get in touch with the Taos people and go for a visit of the facilities.
My car isn't 4WD although I'm keeping an eye out on the lemon lot for a Subaru. My car is kind of small and I'm starting to wonder how the heck I will fit myself, my husband, the baby, and two dogs in it next year! It would be a bit cramped.
However I do put on winter tires and keep chains in the car every winter and it generally handles well in the snow. We drive to Taos all the time to ski in the winter - although not this year!
Thought I would post an update. I decided to go for it and switch over to the Taos birth center from Los Alamos. My husband and I went and visited last week and really liked it, and I have my first appointment with them tomorrow.
I talked to Dr Combs at my last appointment in LA and it sounds like the medical center has hired a new OB-GYN who will share the call with Dr. Combs at some point. In fact I like Dr Combs quite a bit but I decided I would rather have midwifes and have met everyone who will be helping me out when I have the baby before the time comes!
Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed I don't go into labor during some massive blizzard. My husband says he doesn't want to have to name our baby Quartzite because we had to deliver on the side of the road in the gorge. ;-) I think not!
Barring a blizzard, I guarantee you won't regret your decision. We took a class at (but not through) the birth center with Marci, it wasn't a techniques class, but she made you and your partner really think about what you wanted your birth experience to be, I think it was worth it.
Good to know that there is a second OB here now!