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Natural Birth
LeslieH07
member
Break Up With My OB... (kind of long)
LeslieH07
member
When I first found out I was pregnant, I was going to my OB/GYN. I was excited to have my doctor see me until I started to feel like I was just a number. The practice is very busy but I thought I would be treated differently because it is my first baby. I felt so uninformed about what to expect & etc. I also didn't like that there are 4 OB's and any one of them would be delivering my baby instead of my OB that I usually saw.
At about 32 weeks, I watched Business to Being Born and decided I wanted a natural waterbirth at a hospital. I found a midwife and I love her. Our first meeting, I was there for about 1hr and half just talking and being informed. My mind was made that I was going to use her.
Here I am 39 weeks pregnant and I have yet to break up with my OB. I went to my appt this past thursday and she was just like next week will be your due date and if the baby does not come in a week, you will be induced. SMH! I don't want to go back there.
Just wondering if any of you ladies had the same issues.
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Re: Break Up With My OB... (kind of long)
So... are you seeing both your MW and OB? I can't imagine insurance will cover all those visits.
Put on your big girl panties and get the birth you want.
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You are entitled to seek the kind of birth you want. But at 39 weeks, you are going to have less options than you did at 32 weeks. Just because midwives are usually more flexible than OBs about inductions and timelines, that doesn't mean that they are all comfortable taking over care right before your due date. They still are medical professionals, who will need to know all about any medical issues, vitals so far this pregnancy, all the results of the scans you have had so far, etc.
This isn't something you want to show up at the hospital and just make happen on the day your water breaks--advanced planing is key to a successful birth plan.
You need to talk to your doctor. Your OB can do a water birth at a hospital if the hospital allows that. And many doctors start talking about induction at 40 weeks, but if moms say they don't want to, they will often tell you "good job" and start talkign about doing a couple of NSTs from the period of 40-41.5 or 42 weeks. So, just because the doc. mentioned the word induction doesn't mean you don't have any other options.
Finally, since you have been going to this doctor until 39 weeks, you will still have to pay for her services, even if you switch over to a midwife. Usually midwives charge one price for the entire pregnancy, regardless of when they take over care. Just be careful that financially you can afford to pay for basically two medical providers' services.
Make a decision and make it asap. I also switched from OB to midwife midway through my first pregnancy. Because I always felt like a number at the OB's, I felt no obligation to them whatsoever. I talked to my insurance to understand all the steps I needed to take care of to make the switch. Then I waited until after hours to call my OB's office and leave a message for the person in charge of medical records directing her where to send my file. Is that chickening out? Maybe, but I didn't care. I delivered in a hospital with a CNM. And just fyi, even switching to a midwife may not guarantee she will be the one attending your birth when you deliver in a hospital setting. I've delivered twice now, and just by luck of the draw I've ended up with two midwives I've never met before. And honestly, it didn't matter. I still had great birth experiences because I was delivering at a natural birth friendly hospital so I felt comfortable that everyone there was supporting me.
Good Luck.
This is what I did. Then I filled out the paperwork at the birthing center to have my records transferred. They faxed it over. The only other communication I had with the OB was the billing department. Good luck!
Me-36, Unexplained Infertility, DH-35, all clear
Clomid 50mg 12/2011 = BFN
Clomid 100mg 1/2012 = BFN, with Cyst
IVF #1 Lupron/Menopur/Gonal-f/HCG Trigger
ER 4/19/12 = 11 retrieved, 6 fertilized,
ET 4/22/12 = 2 transfered (day 3), remaining 3 weren't good enough to freeze
Beta 5/3 = BFP, 87 Beta #2 5/7 560.9 Beta #3 5/9 1376.5 First u/s One Baby, 125bpm!
Second u/s, 176bmp! Kicked over to the OB by the RE at 8w. Team Green!!
You should have canceled all appointments with your OB after the 32 week one with the MW when you decided to switch. Cross your fingers they don't both try to bill for the appointments between 32 and 39 weeks, because you'll likely be on the hook to pay one of them out of pocket.
Yes, I broke up with my OB practice at 37 weeks. The beginning of the end was unannounced cervical check at 35 weeks. The doctor told me she was just swabbing for strep and then the next thing I knew she is sticking her finger in me to check my cervix without telling me or asking me. (still makes me angry.)
The next couple of appointments turned into debates about episitomies and fourth degree tears and women who die who don't get induced.
So, I had to leave.
The new practice is just so much calmer and supportive.
If you need to switch just go for it! As soon as I decided to do it, I felt better.