Intro - and picking a MW (Long)

smilormarie · February 2013

Hi ladies. I'm in Pike Creek (New Castle County) and I'm 10 weeks along. I'm planning a med free birth due to our history in the signature below plus wanting to avoid tearing and bone breaks which I know is easier if you can feel everything and birth slowly. I was primarily on the Trouble TTC board and have been frequenting the Sep 2013 and first tri boards now.

Hubby and I have met with a midwife at the Birth Center in Wilmington and also met with a nurse at Maternity and Gynecology Associates at Christiana. We won't get to meet the midwife there until the next appt on Mar 12 when I'll be over 13 weeks. Luckily I got established early as a patient at the birth center because shortly after That appt I had some excruiating lower right abdominal pain that had to be further investigated. I would have been between being released from the fertility clinic and not yet with Mat & Gyn which would have been a problem. The birth center already has us for the next appt on Mar 6th. Hubby suggested we say we're going with the birth center since both practices called in an order for me to have an appt at MFM to do our first tri screening and both practices gave me a slip for bloodwork (ordering slightly different testing which was weird). He said then if we change our mind and go with Mat & Gyn we at least got all testing started with the MW we have actually been able to meet with.

1. I wanted to avoid giving birth in a hospital due to hospital protocols and interventions and stressors and thought the idea of a homey birth center would be perfect. There's pros and cons to both though. The birth center will allow me to eat and drink during labor which is important to me.

2. The birth center is far being in downtown Wilm since Hubby and I live in Newark and work in Newark/Elkton. Mat & Gyn at Christiana is super close.

3. Regardless of who my primary practitioner is at the birth center, I know we will have a midwife when it's time for delivery since that's all they have at the birth center. Mat & Gyn already told me I will need to meet with the other OBs in the practice just in case the one and only midwife isn't available when I go into labor and I end up having a different practitioner (OB). Yuck. That makes me think I will absolutely need to spend the money to hire a doula to help with a natural delivery if we go with Mat & Gyn.

4. Hubby is worried in case I need to be transferred to the hospital or baby needs a NICU for some reason. He dated a girl once who worked at St. Francis (the hospital only 2 mins from the birth center) and doesn't like that place. I personally have never had any issues with the downtown hospitals. The birth center prefers to transfer to Christiana hospital if there's time though.

5. The birth center has a labor / birthing tub in one room and a labor tub in another. I don't see anything on Christiana's website about any tubs :-(

6. If all else fails and I'm dying for drugs, the birth center does have IV pain meds.

7. The nurse at Mat & Gyn said its totally different birthing at Christiana now and if I have a birth plan they will try to respect that. I'm trying to set up a tour to see how it compares to the birth center. But the delay with that combined with the delay in meeting the MW at Mat & Gyn makes me think I should stick with the birth center until we know for sure either way.

And off to schedule the first tri NT scan....

jtwin1 · February 2013

Congrats and welcome! I hope you figure out what works best for you!

WanderingA · February 2013

Welcome! I live in Chesapeake City and am making the drive (about 40 minutes from our house) so that I can go to the birth center as well. Like you, I don't like the idea of giving birth in a hospital. The interventions, the timeline and the fact that you are stuck in one position really turned me off.

I am 18 weeks along and have been to the birth center for 3 visits so far. Each time you go you will meet with a new midwife so that you have interacted with all of them when you deliver (since you don't know who will be on-call). Every midwife that I have met with has been great. I never feel rushed, they answer all of my questions, and I know that I have the power to decide what I do and do not want done. I actually feel involved in my health care for the first time, and I think that's really important when pregnant.

As far as the possibility of a hospital transfer, every midwife that I have spoken to has said that they make every effort to transfer to Christiana where they have a doctor they regularly work with. The midwife stays with you through the birth so you have an advocate pulling for you the entire time. Having St. Francis right next door is convenient, but I think the only time they would use them is if a last minute emergency became apparent, which does not seem like a common occurrence.

Whatever you choose, I wish you an easy pregnancy and happy birth! My sister gave birth to her two girls at Christiana and loved it, and my sister-in-law went to Union and had a (surprisingly) good delivery there as well!

klm42404 · February 2013

Congratulations on your pregnancy. I am a patient of Dr. Glover at Maternirty and Gynecology. I am very happy with the practice. Dr. Glover delivered our daughter, but I have also met Dr. Rasheed and Dr. Brosch. I like to go to the office in Middletown. It is only open on Wednesdays, but their is no wait to see the doctor there. Good Luck!

ses60306 · February 2013

I know this is a bit late but...

I would have loved to deliver at the Birth Center...I have heard really good things about it but I am unfortunately unable to use their services. We will be delivering at Christiana with the practice All About Women, I met with their MW Claire for the first time a couple of weeks ago and really liked her. For my first baby we delivered at St Francis...not the best, but the staff was really nice. I don't believe Christiana has birthing tubs but they do have nice showers (so I'm told) to labor in.

In the end you need to trust your gut You will make the right decision for you!

Good luck!

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