Show your support
Thanks so much! Is there any reason you switched to the midwife team other than your OB not being able to deliver your baby? I’m also interested having midwifery care and the water birth option, but nervous about giving up the added expertise of an OBGYN at delivery.
I think the only reason I would have stayed with the OB was for the one in particular I liked/connected with. I read books and listened to other mothers who worked with midwives, and really focused on childbirth being a natural experience that has been going on long before it was in a medical setting. I think if you’re high risk or have any complications, it’s comforting to have the OB. But if you have no complications and things are fine, the midwives will be great ❤️ they gave me so much helpful information. Also I just witnessed my friend have a home birth with midwives and it was so inspiring so I’m a huge fan of them.
How I was explained, OBs have knowledge of medical information and they are approaching you making sure nothing is going wrong. The midwives approach it from asking you about your experience and focusing on what you ask. The OBs respect you as well but they are less flexible with what all you could do while in labor and delivery
That is all consistent with what I have heard too. I’m not high risk at this point, but I’m very early in pregnancy. Thanks very much for sharing! I appreciate hearing about your experiences and am very happy it was a good one.
I went to the Adventist midwife team and it was a pretty cool experience for me. At my prenatal appointments there was one midwife that I saw 3 or 4 times but the rest of the time it was someone different for every appt. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that at first, but all the midwives were knowledgeable and it was nice to hear different perspectives and advice! When I delivered the baby I really only remember the midwife that was there for delivery and the one there for the next day who gave me some tricks - I was there for 4 days 3 nights. The one there for my delivery had been doing this for many years and made me feel super comfortable. Once it was time to push she just sat there and waited for him to pop out lol. The best part to me was I didn’t really feel any pressure about any of my decisions for childbirth and they kept telling me to advocate for myself and what we needed!
@Samantha that sounds like a really positive experience. I can see the benefit of having appointments with various members of the midwifery team so you are likely to know the person you labor with, but that is a bit different than what is the ideal with checkups outside of the birth context. Thanks for sharing and congratulations on your new addition!
I’m currently going to OHSU and I love midwives and always see them over OBs for all my gyno needs. I’m currently having an amazing experience at OHSU! They’re super efficient, attentive, and reliable. 🩷
I had my son in August of last year, I had the nurse-midwives and I loved my care team. As a FTM, I felt very confident and well cared for going into my labor and delivery. I was induced at 37 weeks due high blood pressure that started at 35 weeks. I had the absolute best nurses, they were all so kind. I went in a Saturday at 7 am and didn't give birth until 2:15 am on the following Tuesday, so I got to know my nurses really well. If I was pregnant a second time, I wouldn't change anything.
I switched from the OB to the midwives. I really liked my OB but she wasn’t guaranteed to deliver my baby since I wasn’t scheduling induction. I liked all the midwives I talked to, they were present and thorough with me, plus I wanted a water birth which you can do with them. You can also give birth not on the bed, you have to give birth on the bed with OB. I never met the midwife I had when I went into labor, but my team was great. The nurses really supported me and advocated for me. I would choose the same options again!