For those who have had a midwife AND ob-gyn

Vivi20 · May 2016

So I'm having an ob-gyn for the first time and I'm nervous about it. I'll admit it's mostly because of that documentary, The Business of Being Born. Watching that has given me this fear that all ob-gyn's just want to hurry up and " 'section ya" so they can get home in time for dinner, golf, vacation, etc...
Plus my midwife assisted hospital birth was so great, and I'm terribly sad my midwife isn't in my town anymore.
So my question is, for those of you who have had experience with both, what were the major differences, if any?

kaswanson · May 2016

I had a midwife the first time around and an OB with my second. I had a unique experience where I needed stitches after my first was born, and for some reason (maybe the midwife didn't tie them off properly??) The stitches completely fell out and I didn't notice for week or two. It was extremely painful and when I finally went to the dr about it I almost needed a blood transfusion. So... I decided to go with an OB the second time around.
With my second child, I never saw or met the on call OB until the baby was almost out. She came in, threw on gloves, and caught the baby about 10 seconds later. The hospital was packed that night, and I had an extremely quick delivery the second time around. I think I was in labor about 2 hours total. The hospital also had multiple c-sections lined up, so there were no drs available to administer epidurals, either. The whole thing was kind of crazy.
So.... I wasn't terribly impressed with either, but maybe I had unique circumstances! I'm planning on going with an OB again the third time around. Either way it'll all work out!

Vivi20 · May 2016

Thanks, @kaswanson. That's sort of what I'm worried about, is this super impersonal experience. I mean, I don't expect to sit and visit and have coffee, but I don't want him to be someone I only see for ten minutes, and poof he's gone.

LastMango · May 2016

I don't have experience with a midwife but it's true that when it comes to delivery, the OB will only really be there at the end. It's ALL about the L&D nurses. I had a fantastic team of nurses during my first delivery who made the process, dare I say, enjoyable? But I loved my OB all throughout my pregnancy so I'll be going that route again.

Josie3=5 · May 2016

My MW was there with me the whole time but wouldn't have been if she had had multiple patients that night. I was the only one laboring, hence her presence. But, as I've outlined elsewhere, it was a horrible experience from start to finish but she did not leave me alone, which was the plus side of it. I didn't know her well before she became my provider.

My OB and I knew each other very well because I saw her a lot towards the end of my pregnancy (because I was AMA and overdue, I had a lot of extra scans). I got lucky and had her for my L&D. She checked in on me once and was only there towards the end of it but I had a much more personal connection than I had with MW.

As for C-sections, those are really OB dependent. The OB that sent me in to the hospital for my second told me to mentally prepare myself for a C-section and the OB that delivered my baby, when I told her what first OB had said, was all like, 'no! we're trying this vaginally first and if we get in trouble, we go to C-section - but there is nothing about you that makes me say C-section right away'.

OB's in general are much more interventionalist than MW so you do gamble a lot more. There's a reason that the C-section rate in the state is 33% (or at last check - I haven't checked since 2014). I just really think it depends on what kind of provider you get and how well you make your intentions known.

Josie3=5 · May 2016

Also, for the 'personal experience' aspect of it - while I remember my providers' involvement, they're not part of the beauty of my children being born. Those memories start from when those children were plopped on my chest and cried with relief and disbelief at the miracle of it all. I don't have fuzzy, warm memories of my providers beyond them being people who helped my child transition to the outside world.

Vivi20 · May 2016

I think it's the interventions that I'm worried about. My midwife was very anti-intervention, unless it was an emergency or something I specifically requested. I guess I'll just have to make my desires very, very clear throughout the pregnancy.

katesmama0706 · May 2016

I haven't ever gone the midwife route but I do have to say that with my last pregnancy I had a super wonderful relationship with my OB. She would spend tons of time with me and remembered things we had talked about and never laughed off my concerns or acted like she wanted to pressure me into a section (she even went out of town when I was 38 weeks and could have easily scheduled an induction or section before she left town but didn't even mention it). And even though she wasn't the doctor to deliver me (my baby came so quick at the end that I ended up delivering with some random doctor out of the hallway haha) I didn't really mind because she was so good to follow up with me and make sure I was okay with the fact that she wasn't there. I'm super bummed that she is out of my insurance this time, but I intend to switch doctors until I find another one like her.

ThePax89 · May 2016

Tw: losses mentioned

My midwife practice was combined with an OB practice. You choose the midwife or ob route. With my first pregnancy I chose the midwife route and LOVED my experience. It was fantastic. An OB was present at my daughter's birth because she was in fetal distress, but did not have to intervene.

For my 2nd and 3rd pregnancies, I had some issues (both ended in losses) and dealt with the OB side exclusively. It was terrible. While the midwife half of the practice seemed more conservative than most midwives, the OBs were VERY relaxed in a bad way. My husband called them "loosey goosey".

For this pregnancy, I switched to a traditional OB practice, but I will deliver with a midwife and will switch to a midwife practice when I feel regular kicks.

Wholesome · May 2016

Where I gave birth, there are always 7 midwives on duty and 1-2 OBs. I was in the midwives hands the entire time and periodically checked on by OBs. An OB was there for delivery with midwives and regular nurses around. From the time they started the induction process to the time I gave birth was over 37 hours, so not all places are trying to get you in and out as fast as possible! Can you talk with your doctor to tell him/her about your fears? I hope there are more places around like mine!

Vivi20 · May 2016

Wholesome said:

Where I gave birth, there are always 7 midwives on duty and 1-2 OBs. I was in the midwives hands the entire time and periodically checked on by OBs. An OB was there for delivery with midwives and regular nurses around. From the time they started the induction process to the time I gave birth was over 37 hours, so not all places are trying to get you in and out as fast as possible! Can you talk with your doctor to tell him/her about your fears? I hope there are more places around like mine!

I'll definitely be talking to him, as well as the other doctors at the practice, about some concerns I have, as well as wants/needs. Everyone I know who has had an ob-gyn has been given pitocin, has been induced, many had c-sections, and I'm going to make it very clear that all of those things are huge, big No-No's for me unless there is a medical emergency.

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