@thunderberry, the midwife thing really bothers me too. If that's the route you choose, good for you! I hope it goes smooth. As for me, I want doctors. I only saw the doctors at my practice. One appointment, all of the doctors were in surgery and my appointment was just a nst so I normally didn't see them. Well, I had been getting dizzy for a couple of days with some extra swelling and my blood pressure was high when the nurse took it. She went and spoke to a midwife who said I was fine and to come back 3 days later for my next nst. I went home still feeling off. I laid around for a couple hours until DH came home and took me to get my blood pressure checked at Walmart, where it was still high. We bought a bp cuff and came home, I laid down for home hour, we checked and it was high still. We called into the after hours line and were told to come in immediately. One of the l&d nurses who saw me told me to mentally prepare to give birth that week. And sure enough, pre-e test was positive and I delivered 2 days later.
Could this all have happened with a doctor? Definitely, but it still left an awful taste in my mouth about the midwives. So if something happens again where a midwife signs off on me leaving, I won't be leaving until I also speak to a doctor.
@thunderberry, maybe it was about vaccinating your fireplace? I had a pretty bad experience with a midwife and feel lucky it happened when I was only 6 weeks along with my first. In general, I try to use more natural medicine, but that doesn't have to include a midwife and certainly isn't better than getting mom and baby through happy and healthy.
@justsuzie a midwife is a medical professional who can handle an entire pregnancy and the delivery, if you want them to, as long as its low risk. In my city they actually work out of the hospital although they will also do home births. A doula is more of a support person who is there to help and advise the mom before during or after birth, depending on the service, but who doesn't take the place of the OB or actually do a delivery etc.
Re: UO 12/7
I went home still feeling off. I laid around for a couple hours until DH came home and took me to get my blood pressure checked at Walmart, where it was still high. We bought a bp cuff and came home, I laid down for home hour, we checked and it was high still. We called into the after hours line and were told to come in immediately. One of the l&d nurses who saw me told me to mentally prepare to give birth that week. And sure enough, pre-e test was positive and I delivered 2 days later.
Could this all have happened with a doctor? Definitely, but it still left an awful taste in my mouth about the midwives. So if something happens again where a midwife signs off on me leaving, I won't be leaving until I also speak to a doctor.
I had a pretty bad experience with a midwife and feel lucky it happened when I was only 6 weeks along with my first. In general, I try to use more natural medicine, but that doesn't have to include a midwife and certainly isn't better than getting mom and baby through happy and healthy.