Since the amount of women who actively choose a midwife for their care has drastically dropped over the last century, I thought I would show a great, and informative video today on why women should choose a midwife for their birth.
Before I do post the video, one more thing I wanted to include was a quote of information from a recent consumer report survey.
An Obstetrician will deliver better maternity care, overall, than a midwife or family doctor.
False. Studies show that the 8 percent to 9 percent of U.S. women who use midwives and the 6 to 7 percent who choose family physicians generally experienced just-as-good results as those who go to obstetricians. Those who used midwives also ended up with fewer technological interventions. For example, women who received midwifery care were less likely to experience induced labor, have their water broken for them, episiotomies, pain medications, intravenous fluids, and electronic fetal monitoring, and were more likely to give birth vaginally with no vacuum extraction or forceps, than similar women receiving medical care. Note that an obstetric specialist is best for the small proportion of women with serious health concerns.
With that statement being said, modern misconceptions about midwifery care should be put to rests.
My story on choosing a midwife for this pregnancy is a bit of a long one. It really started when my OB’s practice wanted payment upfront instead of going through insurance. I felt very uncomfortable about that, because we would end up paying twice as much out of pocket for my prenatal care and birth than if they went straight through insurance. We aren’t poor, but we don’t have $6000 just laying around either.
The real kicker that made me start searching for initially a different OB, and then a midwife, was the fact that when I told my OB that I was planning a Hypnobabies 100% unmedicated birth, she told me that they give all of their VBAC moms epidurals. When I told her that I did not want any medication of any kind, she did the patronizing smirk and said, “We’ll see about that.” I ever went back to her again.
After contacting several other OBs in the area, and getting rather negative responses to my questions about VBAC successes and unmedicated births, my husband and I discussed home birth. After researching home births extensively, I contacted the only home birth midwife in the area. (Turns out that CNMs don’t do home births around me, and CPMs are illegal) We met with her, and hired her on the spot.
The difference in care is amazing. My appointments are done in my home, on any day of the week that is good for me, at the time of my choosing. They always last at least an hour, and are spent talking about my birth plans, nutrition, exercise, vitamins, herbs, etc. My appointments with my OB used to be 45 minutes of me waiting for her to finally get to me, then 5 minutes of being yelled at about my weight gain (which has always been reasonable, and right in line with what I should gain), and then being shuffled out the door. I can decline any and all testing, without being made to feel like I’m killing myself or my baby, and never have internal exams.
What I really like though, is the fact that my midwife knows *me*. She knows my family, my son, and my home. She doesn’t have to look at my chart to know my name or when I am due. I couldn’t get that kind of personal care from the OB that I was with for my 1st pregnancy and the beginning of this pregnancy. (She was my OB for 5+ years and never even knew my name…)
Comment by susan — January 21st, 2010 @ 12:13 pm