Doula, Midwife or OBGYN?

Knottie1443924966 · May 2016

Hey Mama's who are you planning to deliver your baby? Doula, Midwife or OBGYN?

My husband and I are hoping for a midwife to deliver with support from a doula.

aishmc · May 2016

OBGYN. I worked in L&D for a while so it's the obvious choice for me. I've known a couple CNMs that were good as well. Doula's have no medical training whatsoever and only serve as an emotional support of sorts and attempt to enforce the birth plan. My experiences with Doulas have left a bad taste in my mouth so I definitely won't be working with one, but have heard of some people having positive experiences with the RIGHT Doula.

mommywesley · May 2016

I actually hired a midwife to be my doula with #3! It was great to have her there, that was my first successful VBA2C.

Just my OB with #4 and we'll do the same this time, just the OB.

pshaortao · May 2016

Whichever OB is on call when it's go time. I got lucky and got the OB that I was seeing for all my appointments when DD was ready to come out, so it was really nice to have a familiar face.

katesmama0706 · May 2016

OB all the way. My MIL wanted me to see a midwife with my last pregnancy (I still don't know why she cared so much) but I wasn't ever comfortable with that. I feel more at ease with as many doctors around as I can get. During my last delivery I had 2 pediatricians, an OB and 2 residents in my room plus my nurse and the pediatric nurse. It was fantastic!

Mylitta · May 2016

I would be happy with either a midwife or an OB. But I have an OB (she's my gyno) that I like, so I'm likely going to stick with her.

I'd love a RN midwife... but I'll be happy with the one I already have and like.

rdh33 · May 2016

We're going to work with a midwife. Ideally, I would have a water birth at home with a midwife and doula. I would prefer to have a CNM or CM, but the only CNMs (or CM) in my area work within a hospital. We're going to interview a LDM, who owns a birth center and does home birth. If I don't feel like that's a good fit -- I think it will be, based on the references I've gotten and her level of experience -- I will probably go with one of the CNMs at the hospital. But, it's definitely a second choice.

ThePax89 · May 2016

I am currently seeing an OB, but will be switching to a midwife later in the pregnancy. My daughter was delivered by a midwife in a hospital. Our practice was an OB/midwife hybrid. My daughter struggled during her birth and an OB was popping in an out during my labor to see if any interventions were necessary. I appreciated the emotional support aspect of a midwife. It was a beautiful and fantastic experience.

Just to clarify for those who don't know, using a midwife does not necessarily mean home birth/birth center. A great midwife is supportive of epidurals, induction, epesiotomies if the circumstance demands them.

AshleySparkle720 · May 2016

I loved my midwife group! I had DD at a birthing center and it was the best experience I could've asked for.

zdmd_14 · May 2016

We're planning on using a midwife unless something happens to risk us out. I've used her with both of my DDs. She's a CNM (with means an RN plus graduate school for nurse midwifery) with decades of experience in hospitals and homes. It's hard to picture having a birth without her around.

ElleMF728 · May 2016

My OB has been with me through all my pregnancies and I completely love her. We delivered our first children days apart so she was unable to deliver DS1 but was able to deliver DS2. It was a fantastic experience and I trust her judgment and advice.

KarliQ88 · May 2016

MD. I'm a nurse i work in an ICU. Although i don't work L&D I've seen some horrific things after some labors. Given i work in a large large hospital and the cases we get come from all over so i know it's rare. But i want a doctor there! A midwife is a nurse with a couple years more training then myself. I don't really care about having a "personal relationship' or whatever people feel they get with midwives. I just want the most educated,most experienced person to keep my baby and i safe. Doula....no! Just no! Zero medical training. It's all my crazy medical background coming out of me.

mommywesley · May 2016

Lol, I don't think the OP was suggesting anyone have a doula deliver the baby! Just if anyone was going to use one. And a lot of Midwives in our area have delivered babies for years and years, not just a couple years experience past nurses etc. But that's our area.

LastMango · May 2016

OBGYN. It gives me comfort knowing that I have a doctor there who can handle any issue that may arise. I used one last time and found that I had a bicornuate uterus. With the risks that come with that, I'll be sticking with her. Plus, I just love her!

robin.masciave · May 2016

I have Kaiser Permanente and they use bith for appts. You are assigned to an obgyn amd they have a set of CNMs that work with them. Then at the hospital it is who ever is on duty which is usually am ob and a CNM just not probably going to be yours...it worked out fine for me. I'm sure it will be the same.

ToBeMiller1921 · May 2016

Ob, but will hire a doula as well.

Jkp7749 · May 2016

My midwives were horrible. I had to rotate through all four throughout my pregnancy. They always gave different info based on their opinions, were rude!!!, and not very helpful.

One walked in to my 30 week appointment and told me to stop gaining weight... Whatttttttttt?? I cried. The dr said my weight was fine, obviously all baby.

I failed glucose test and was border line on the 3 hr, so when they called with my results they said, well one value was too high, the second was close, and the third was fine, so just be careful what you eat. That worried me.

Then, I had so much swelling of my face, hands, legs, EVERYWHERE, and had bad pitting edema but they said oh great, you're barely swelling. Ughhh

And then at my 38 week appointment my midwife said she'd

Jkp7749 · May 2016

Sweep my membranes and schedule my induction for after forty weeks so already I'd know when she was coming at the latest. At my appointment, that weeks midwife freaked out and said there was no way she'd swell my membranes, couldn't believe the other days she would, and she definitely wouldn't talk about induction until 41 weeks.

That was so frustrating for a hormonal whale!
Then, finally during labor she was terrible and made me push for three hours before fussing t me for being tired and threatening me with fine you want me to get the dr? Yes!! So when the dr came, he instantly saw the prob.

I know these were specific to my midwives, but I don't trust their abilities and will have a dr this time BC they seem so much more capable.

3rdTimeMamma · May 2016

Ob! I'm sad that the ob for my last two pregnancies is no longer there. I'm hoping my experience this time will be just as great!

ashanne88 · May 2016

OB. I started out at a midwife practice last time but they lost admitting privileges at our hospital so I switched to the OB practice affiliated with the hospital. I loved the doctor that ended up delivering DS, he made me so comfortable and the whole experience was wonderful with him, including post partum. I'm sticking with the same doctor this time (hopefully he's on rotation when I actually deliver). OB ended up being better for my personality than the midwives, but that's just me.

Vivi20 · May 2016

I had a hospital birth with a midwife when I had my first, and I loved it. I love her so much, but she is now practicing in a different town. The only other midwives around here attend births at the birthing center, and while I am generally a very crunchy mama, I don't feel comfortable giving birth at the birthing center (and I loved my epidural). So this time around I will be going with an ob-gyn. I have a long list of things to go over with him, so I'm sure I'll be his favorite patient (heavy sarcasm there!)

stumptownmama · May 2016

I'll be seeing a midwife. I had a midwife for my last pregnancy and it was a positive experience. Unless I end up being high risk, I prefer midwifery care. I really feel that they give more attention and care throughout pregnancy and are generally more supportive of a non-traditional birth plan. That's just my experience though.

Josie3=5 · May 2016

The doula is in addition to either an OB or a midwife. Everyone I know who has used a doula has RAVED about having one. I didn't have one with either of my two little ones but I'd say look into it. From what I understand, it's like having a partner that can stick with you through the whole L&D and can suggest poses to bring you relief, especially if you're trying for unmedicated. They also help guide husbands into how they can be good partners during the process (because, lets face it, our partners are as clueless as we are as to what childbirth really is until you've at least been through one).

I already mentioned that I had a horrible MW experience with my first and went with an OB and epidural with my second (and will try for a repeat of that with my third). HOWEVEF, I have to give credit where credit is due to the MW - she had no other patients that night (thank goodness) and devoted herself to getting me through the L&D and acted like a doula. There is no way I could have gotten through it without someone telling me when and how to change positions. So, while the whole thing was awful and she pushed me to her agenda despite my protests, she knew how to help me move to get my child with the 98percentile head out.

ChaoticWolf · May 2016

I've set up consultations with two different birth centers in my town to see if I'm eligible for service with the midwives. I'm at a higher bmi, so they may or may not take me. If they don't allow my to be a client at the birth center due to health reasons, then I'll obviously have no other choice than an OB/hospital birth.

aishmc · May 2016

KarliQ88 said:

I don't really care about having a "personal relationship' or whatever people feel they get with midwives. I just want the most educated,most experienced person to keep my baby and i safe. Doula....no! Just no! Zero medical training. It's all my crazy medical background coming out of me.

This. All of this.

The great CNMs I know are just like MDs, just that they are RNs rather than MDs. I don't feel that they'd provide any more emotional connection than the labor nurse or pp nurse would. The relationships that patients form with providers are what they make them.

I think most RNs feel the same way about Doulas based on work experience. We're scared of someone interfering with patient safety.

KarliQ88 · May 2016

aishmc said:

KarliQ88 said:

I don't really care about having a "personal relationship' or whatever people feel they get with midwives. I just want the most educated,most experienced person to keep my baby and i safe. Doula....no! Just no! Zero medical training. It's all my crazy medical background coming out of me.

This. All of this.

The great CNMs I know are just like MDs, just that they are RNs rather than MDs. I don't feel that they'd provide any more emotional connection than the labor nurse or pp nurse would. The relationships that patients form with providers are what they make them.

I think most RNs feel the same way about Doulas based on work experience. We're scared of someone interfering with patient safety.

I hope what said didn't come off wrong. I think as nurses or any medical profession we are programed to be on higher alert just because i see only "worst case scenerios." I've had women with heart failure,blood clots, aneurysms etc related to pregnancy. And i know those things are rare but when you see it more than a few times it doesn't seem rare and that's because i dont see all the positive outcomes. i only see "the really bad" because of where i work. It's a comfort thing for me knowing i have an MD.

GhanimaAtreides · May 2016

Considering my history of precipitous labors and post-partum hemorrhage (every...single...time...), OB it is! I'm going with my same one from 2009 for baby #3; she arranged for me to get the "rapid epidural" that kicked in within 5 minutes instead of 30 (when administered at 6cm with baby #2 at the military hospital, it finally kicked in 15min after delivery!) She was great and still made it to the hospital in time on an 80min labor.

TinaBelcher · May 2016

My OB has CNMs on staff but now with a twin pregnancy I'll stick with the OB. I might also see a MFM specialist, and I'm definitely hiring a doula.

spano41 · May 2016

OB, but I'm also not one of those people who need a relationship with the person delivering my baby as long as they are qualified to keep me and my baby alive if something were to go wrong. I have no idea who delivered my daughter. It was a woman with brown hair I think. I did all the work. She just caught her on the way out.

RocksInTheWater · May 2016

spano41 said:

OB, but I'm also not one of those people who need a relationship with the person delivering my baby as long as they are qualified to keep me and my baby alive if something were to go wrong. I have no idea who delivered my daughter. It was a woman with brown hair I think. I did all the work. She just caught her on the way out.

Same!

poetryandoceans · May 2016

I'm going for a midwife. The midwives where I am have a very rigorous training and certification program. And since I'm giving birth in a hospital, I'm actually thinking more about the pre and post natal care than the labour itself. My husband has worked in the LDR ward here, and he feels comfortable that, between the midwives and nurses, they would recognize when the situation required tapping in someone with more medical training. So taking the birth itself out of the picture, midwives here offer 45 minute prenatal appointments where most MDs it's more like 10-15. And for postpartum care, the midwives actually come to you for the first month! Huge perk with a January baby!

Nini422 · May 2016

I'm going with my OB/GYN. I'm L&D nurse and I work with midwives and they are great, but I just love by OB group. Just a wonderful group of female drs.

mrshuse525 · May 2016

I tried to go with my OB who I loved with my first and they told me their practice is no longer doing OB. After a complete meltdown I called their recommended OB. Although I'm curious about midwifed. If I don't like this new OB I may be looking into other options.

LJ623 · May 2016

The practice I am going to go with has both OBs and Midwives. Their policy is to have patients seen by all of the providers since you don't know who will be on call when you go into labor. I am interested to see the difference between the providers as I get a chance to meet them all!

Briala · May 2016

I'm going with my obgyn she has done all my endo procedures and was with me through my loss and previous pregnancy. She was amazing with the birth of ds she stayed 3 hours after her call ended to be the one to birth me and then stayed late to do my emergency c-section. It ended up being complicated and I am so thankful she was the one to do it I would have been even more panicked with someone else. The downside is that she is the only one I did see so if it wasn't her it would have been a total stranger. That said I was wanting to have a doula as well to have the extra support during the first parts and prepping, but since I will most likely be a rcs I'm not entirely sure if I will need/want a doula. I'm not sure if I am eligible for a vbac yet or if I want to go through all that again... I'm indecisive

moonlady-2 · May 2016

I'm going with a midwife (CNM). The midwife clinic I'm going to is actually attached to the hospital. And there are whirpool tubs in each room. I love the idea of laboring in water. I don't want any drugs or interventions if at all possible so it makes the most sense for me. I like the security of still being in the hospital though, too.

jen198705 · May 2016

I'm going to have a midwife deliver. This will be my first birth so I'm hoping for natural waterborne but in the hospital because in my state it is illegal to deliver at home.

Knottie1443924966 · May 2016

moonlady said:

I'm going with a midwife (CNM). The midwife clinic I'm going to is actually attached to the hospital. And there are whirpool tubs in each room. I love the idea of laboring in water. I don't want any drugs or interventions if at all possible so it makes the most sense for me. I like the security of still being in the hospital though, too.

This was my dream

but we don't have whirlpool tubs with Kaiser

Doula, Midwife or OBGYN?

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