Natural Birth

switching midwives?

Hi all, I'm new to this forum and just shy of 14 weeks.

I am wondering if anyone on here has changed midwives (or OBs) in the middle of their pregnancy.

I have been for 2 appointments with my senior midwife (3 if you count the initial birthing center tour) and I am having a really hard time clicking with her. I love the nurse midwife and student midwife on my team, but there is just something about the tone/cadence and style of her communication that not only bothers me, but sometimes confuses me when she's answering a question or commenting on pregnancy/birth. 

My gut is telling me I need to find another senior midwife (thinking about having this midwife in the room when I'm in labor is not a soothing or grounding feeling) but I'm having feelings of guilt for "firing" her. I plan to continue to use the same student and nurse midwifes on my team and request another senior midwife at the birthing center - I just don't want it to be awkward.

Any thoughts, advice or your own experiences would be greatly appreciated. 

Re: switching midwives?

  • I have not changed MWs, but my advice is always the same. If you have met with a MW (or any provider, for that matter) several times and are uncomfortable with him or her, you should find a new provider. Giving birth is an incredibly challenging thing to do and you need to be able to put complete trust in your chosen provider. You shouldn't feel guilty; sometimes we just don't click with a certain person. That doesn't mean this MW isn't a good one, but she's not the one for you. 

    Good luck with your decision. I hope you're able to find a MW you feel really comfortable with! 

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  • 14 weeks isn't too late at all.  I found my current mw at about 13 weeks.  I had a lot of trouble finding one that would attend a homebirth where I live (1.5 hrs away)
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  • During my first pregnancy I switched from an OB to a CNM at 30 weeks.  I have a friend who switched at 35 weeks.  It is almost never too late, and I would go with your gut if you are not comfortable with your provider.
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  • i switched from an ob/hospital birth to a mw/birth center birth plan at 25 weeks. 

     

    it is so, so, important for you to feel 100 percent comfortable with your provider.

     

    i TOTALLY understand the guilt thing. i had nothing against my ob, i just didn't feel like we shared similar views re:childbirth, and since the goal at the end of all this is to birth a child, i felt pretty strongly that i needed to find someone who was on the same page.

     

    so, you're definitely not too late, please don't feel guilty, and i hope you find someone you click with completely!  

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  • I switched from an OB to a CNM at 27 weeks because my OB refused to grant my request for delayed cord clamping and acted like a complete idiot about it. I saw right then and there that I could no longer trust the OB, and I switched. And I am so very glad I did. Yes, I felt slightly guilty about it, but this is my birth and my baby, and the OB and I were clearly not on the same page about how the birth was going to unfold. Go. Go now. You won't regret it.
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  • Thank you all SO much for your responses. 

    Sometimes you just need a little reassurance that you're not making some irrational decision, you know?  

    I'm going to get in touch with the other 2 midwives on my team and request that they help me secure a different senior midwife. 

    And isn't that the whole basis of midwife care? We make the decisions around our pregnancy and birth?

    Thanks ladies! 


  • I am literally in the process of doing this right now and I'm 26 weeks, switching from midwives at a hospital to a homebirth midwife.  I had the same "guilt" feeling at first about firing the hosptial midwife group, but I'm over it now :) I spoke to the homebirth midwife today and I'm so so relieved that I have things on track now!

    14 weeks is early, so great that you are figuring it out now!

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  • I switched from one very, shall we say, "surgically oriented" practice to a more natural birth friendly one at 25 weeks and now that I'm at 39 and the rubber is really about to hit the road here, I am extremely glad I did.

    That is different than staying with the practice and choosing a different provider - I am not able to do that in my case, whoevers on call is on call - but generally speaking, week 14 is plenty of time to make adjustments. Good luck!

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