Do any of you have experience with them? They were recommended to me by my primary care nurse practitioner after telling her that hubby and I want two very different types of birth. I would prefer a very "granola" situation--no meds, birth center, possible water birth, while hubs wants an OB/GYN and hospital. She said they are a good blend. One thing I am worried about is in scheduling my first appointment she said I wouldn't have an U/S of any kind until an anatomy scan at 20 weeks. How do they determine viability? This is my first pregnancy, so I might just be confused. Any insight would be awesome!
I started my prenatal care at the maternal clinic and loved the midwife I met and the care that was shown to me there. We would have continued with them if it hadn't been for a couple things- I wanted a water birth as well. They do have tubs for laboring but not to birth in. Also, I wanted that same midwife throughout. Most midwifery programs linked to hospitals are set up so that you might see a different midwife each visit and then whichever midwife is on-call will attend your birth.
Ultimately, we chose Alma Midwifery. But if you want the midwife experience in a hospital setting, check out Legacy Emanuel and OHSU, too.
My DH and I are in a similar situation. We ended up deciding on the midwifery group at OHSU. It was a great compromise that we both feel comfortable with. They are very nursingcentered, support natural LD, and offer water birth. Plus, we'll be at a hospital with a NICU just in case. We had 2 ultrasounds in the first 16 weeks.
Re: Providence Maternal Care Clinic in Portland
I started my prenatal care at the maternal clinic and loved the midwife I met and the care that was shown to me there. We would have continued with them if it hadn't been for a couple things- I wanted a water birth as well. They do have tubs for laboring but not to birth in. Also, I wanted that same midwife throughout. Most midwifery programs linked to hospitals are set up so that you might see a different midwife each visit and then whichever midwife is on-call will attend your birth.
Ultimately, we chose Alma Midwifery. But if you want the midwife experience in a hospital setting, check out Legacy Emanuel and OHSU, too.