Midwife vs OB

Updated on March 28, 2009
E.G. asks from Minneapolis, MN
10 answers

Hi everyone,
With my last pregnancy, almost 2 years ago, I had an OB/hospital delivery. Everything went fine. I did receive an epidural and I believe the vacuum was used to help with the delivery of my baby. I'm now pregnant again and am wondering if anyone can or would recommend a Midwife. Or at least tell me why they would prefer a Midwife vs. an OB. I didn't have any problems with my OB, but I've been reading a lot about hospital interventions and "The Business of Being Born". I live in the NW metro...Thanks!

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J.L.

answers from Minneapolis on

E.,
I would highly recommend a Doula to assist you in labor and delivery. I used an OB for #1, a midwife for #2 and a OB with a doula for #3. She is there only to assist me and the labor partner/father. If you need more information respond and I will get you some more info! Good luck wih baby. :)

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J.S.

answers from Minneapolis on

Hi E.,

I used an OB with my first (ended up with Cervadil, pitocin, epidural, 36 hours of induced labor - delivery by whoever was on call that day - the Doc. litterally came in to catch the baby - that was it). It turned out fine, but it SO wasn't what I wanted I swore I would do it completely differently the next time.

With my second I picked a small midwife practice (three midwives on staff) and had 100% natural waterbirths with my second and third babies.

I was terrified going into my second birth, my midwives took a lot of time to talk it over with me at the appointments leading up to delivery. The third time around was a cakewalk :)

When I got to the hospital, my midwife came shortly after with each labor and never left my side until after delivery and everything was done. They came back to check me each day in the hospital and were so happy/excited for me and my babies, they wanted to hold them, give me hugs, made me feel like I did a great job for my children by having a natural birth :)

I used the Midwives at Generations Women's Clinic in Shoreview. I really liked Mary, she delivered my second baby. In November when I had my third baby, Penny came in on her night off so that I could deliver my third at St. Joe's (instead of having to go to St. Johns where Mary was all ready delivering a baby). For me that was going above and beyond the call of duty and I so appreciated being able to have another waterbirth. I had very positive experiences with Generations Women's Clinic.

A great resource is Blooma in Edina. They are a yoga studio for pregnant women, Mom's and families and they have a TON of great pregnancy classes, information on doulas (Sarah who owns it is a doula and has attended 300+ births) and midwives in our area. I highly recommend Blooma to anyone who is expecting a baby, or just had a baby!

Good luck with your decision.

Jessica

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C.K.

answers from Minneapolis on

I have had 1 child so far, and it was a midwife-assisted birth in a hospital. Why didn't I go with an OB? Many reasons...... Ob/Gyns are great at what they do and I'm grateful they exist, but they are first and foremost trained to "diagnose and treat", which is not what a *normal* pregnancy is all about. Also, they are very expensive. For the vast majority of women to be using Ob/Gyns for routine pregnancies and births instead of a general family practitioner or a midwife is one of the many, many reasons why healthcare costs and insurance premiums have spiraled out of control.

The statistics speak for themself. Take a look at WHO's website and articles comparing the U.S. to other industrialized nations where midwives are the norm, not the exception. You will be surprised--and perhaps horrified--at where the U.S. comes in with c-sections, infant mortality, and maternal mortality.

Our prenatal visits (my husband came to all but one) were 1 hour long, and they were "conversations"--we sat in cozy chairs and drank tea and talked. At the end of each visit, we would listen to the baby's heartbeat, weigh me, and measure my belly. When my husband and I made the decision to forego the "standard" 20-week ultrasound, we were not berated or scared into it. However, medical intervention was always there when we needed it--I had 2 blood sugar tests during my pregnancy because diabetes runs in my family.

My delivery was more complicated than I had wished. My water broke but I did not have contractions. Instead of being told to rush to the hospital for an induction, my midwife and I kept in contact over the phone. I took my temperature periodically (to check for infection) and made sure I could feel the baby move. When a woman's water breaks, 90% of them are already having contractions OR will have contractions start within 24 hours. I was allowed the time to see if my body could do this. I did brisk walking and used the breast pump to encourage contractions, but sadly, I had none. After 26 hours, I was given a low dose of Pitocin via IV. I had my son 9 hours later.

My labor and delivery were great. I have heard horror stories--even TODAY--about women not being allowed to eat and having "routine" episiotomies. I was allowed to walk around, I took a bath, I ate buffalo wings. My husband caught our son.

I would encourage you to do 3 things: go ahead and watch "The Business of Being Born"; read "Ina Mae's Guide to Childbirth" by Ina Mae Gaskin; and research statistics on childbirth around the world. If after that you still feel like you need an Ob/Gyn, then you have at least made an educated decision and made the best choice for you and your family. Good luck.

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J.C.

answers from Minneapolis on

I changed from an OB to a midwife mid-pregnancy because I wanted a water birth. I had been happy with my obstetrician aside from the fact that she wouldn't do a waterbirth. I have heard that midwives spend more time with mothers both in the office and during labor and delivery. (With nothing to compare it to,) my midwife was with me the whole time once I arrived at the hospital.

I like midwives' philosophy in general and would highly recommend going with one. I saw the HealthEast midwives - Ann Johnson, specifically, who I loved. They work as a group but you can see one in the clinic all the way through and then take your chances once you deliver or see different ones all the time and know the one you get at delivery.

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C.A.

answers from Minneapolis on

I used the midwives at the St. Louis Park Meadowbrook Clinic through Park Nicollet for my last 2 babies and loved them. With the midwives you don't choose a particular midwife you can see anyone of them and anyone of them will be there for your delivery, but you will have them there for your entire delivery. Since they don't have as many people as the Drs you will probably be then only patient they have at the time and will spend as much time with you as you want. They are also more open for you to try different laboring/delivery positions. You can get in the bath or shower if you want, birth balls, ect. Plus when the baby is born they are more likely to follow your birth plan. They will use epidurals if it's what you want but they will support you in whatever you choose to do.

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C.B.

answers from Minneapolis on

I also saw the Park Nicollet Midwives at Meadowbrook when I was pregnant with my son, who was born last October. I transferred to the midwives halfway through my pregnancy because I was unhappy with the OB I was seeing. My experience with the midwives was great! The Park Nicollet midwives work out of several locations--the closest to you might be Brooklyn Center (Brookdale). I saw Patt Haroldson at Brookdale for my postpartum care--I like her a lot.

Good luck!

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A.

answers from Minneapolis on

I feel like the biggest difference (and this will vary from individual, of course) is that an OB tends to treat a pregnancy like a medical problem to be solved whereas a midwife sees pregnancy as a natural process to be helped along. Midwives tend to be more patient about letting a baby come naturally (both while waiting for labor to start and once you're laboring) as long as there are no immediate risks to the baby or mother.

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M.2.

answers from Minneapolis on

Hi E.,
Your insurance will most likely cover visits with a nurse midwife just as they cover visits with an OB. With a nurse midwife, you get all the medical attention (visits, screenings, ultrasounds, high-risk care) that you would get with an OB, just with a little more comfort and caring! They will spend more time with you and be more open to your "natural" ideas. OBs tend to be very quick to induce labor, leading to the cascade of medical interventions that could take you all the way to a C-section. When you do go into labor, a nurse midwife will spend MUCH more time with you than your OB, and will be there to help coach you through the roughest spots. An OB tends to come into your room only occasionally, and then is only really present right at the end. With my first, I was seen exclusively by a nurse midwife. My labor did not go smoothly, and I ended up being seen by 6 different nurse midwives during the process. (That's 6 eight hour shifts - you can do the math). Throughout the process, the nurse midwives were wonderful. For the most part, they did not push me into interventions unless they felt they were absolutely necessary, and when they felt they needed the OB's expertise, they had her come in. My birth ended in a c-section anyway, but I am so thankful to the nurse midwives for their support and comfort. This time around, I'm going for a VBAC, and I'm seeing a nurse midwife. Again, they'll be there for me until the end, but they will not hesitate to bring the doctor in at any signs of distress. I trust these ladies and feel that they are such a wonderful asset to we pregnant women. Good luck in your decision. You won't be disappointed with nurse midwives!
Amy K

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J.M.

answers from Minneapolis on

Hi E.,
I just had my second child and saw the midwives at Park Nicollet for both of my pregnancies (I believe they have a Brookdale clinic if that is helpful). I thoroughly enjoyed working w/ the midwives and will do it again if we have a third child. One of the things I liked best was that they took plenty of time w/ my husband and I to answer any questions at every appointment, which usually lasted b/t 25 and 50 minutes. I never felt rushed. I also felt like I had a lot of options when it came to deciding what methods and positions I wanted during the delivery. They were very accommodating that way. We were very pleased overall. I think who you see during pregnancy & delivery has a big impact on your experience so I wish you the best in what you decide! Good luck!

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A.D.

answers from Minneapolis on

If you are interested in avoiding some of the interventions this time around, you might want to check out a Bradley Natural childbirth class. The more info you have the better. I'm a Bradley teacher, but I'm not plugging myself, I just really think they are the best thing out there. Another good movie to check out is "Orgasmic Birth." Check out piecec of it on You Tube.
In general midwives are more open to whatever is happening and less likely to feel the need to "manage" it. But, it really depends on the person. Ask lots of questions. Read Henci Goer's book - "The Thinking Women's Guide to a Better Birth" There's a good section on questions to ask in there. For whatever it's worth, I've heard really good things about the midwives at St. Joe's & some at HCMC and Methodist. Also, I've heard some great things about the midwife at North Memorial.

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