Why do most women choose an Ob/Gyn instead of a midwife for birth even though the pregnancy is uncomplicated?

Question

Why do women give their doctors all the power and let them decide what is best instead of listening to their own bodies? Is it because of the "horror" stories we hear about birth? If that's the case, why has society chosen medical birth when there are obvious horror stories? Do women not know their options? Do they know that medical interventions (when not needed) causes trauma? Why do most women assume their doctor has their best interest at heart instead of questioning him/her?

Answer 1

At one point in time I thought the same way that you did. I looked into birthing centers and midwifes instead of hospitals and ob/gyns... in some ways I still do feel the same as you. But I do think hospitals and ob/gyns are best. Unfortunately, I had a stillbirth... and that changed everything for me. This IS a "horror" story type of situation; however, with the reasons still being unclear as to the actual CAUSE of my daughter's death, I was told this was a 1% chance. Now think for a minute... how many patients does a small ob/gyn's office see per year? 200? That means there is the chance that 2 of those women in that small area could have a stillbirth for unknown reasons (what about the ones where the reason is known? Another 2? Another 4?). I know that I should have questioned the doctor more, and maybe saved my daughter's life before she was gone... however... a midwife wouldn't have been able to do anything but refer me to a doctor that could perform an early delivery and put the baby in NICU (which is what my ob/gyn SHOULD have done). Now, my next child... the pregnancy went perfectly fine... AND I was seeing perinatologists... however... when delivery time came my daughter might not have made it had we been just with a midwife or in a birthing center instead of top hospital. My dd became stressed DURING delivery... the perfect pregnancy wouldn't have had a perfect ending had I not been seeing an Ob/Gyn for the delivery. On another note, my perinatologists office has a midwife working with them. I see her all the time and I think she's FANTASTIC... they all work together, and I get fantastic care. Women do not need to skip the great care of an ob/gyn just to see a midwife... check into things and offices near you... you can find a loving caring motherly midwife IN an ob/gyn's office... you can still have the best care and safety net of delivering in a location that can handle anything that might happen at the last minute...

I do agree... women need to know their options... they need to check into procedures that are often routinely done and weigh both the pros and the cons of these... and they do need to QUESTION their doctor if they are unsure of what the doctor is doing, prescribing, or NOT doing... go with your gut, listen to your own body, and choose a doctor that WILL listen to YOU and what you're feeling, not just blow off your feelings as nothing more than a "silly pregnant woman"... a second opinion is your RIGHT... you are paying them, so if they're not doing everything that you feel they should... you can fire them and get someone else!

I think a doula is a GREAT idea... the daddy is rarely the support person you need in delivery... he should be there, but he's more scared than you are 99% of the time! I hope to become a doula someday when my kids are more grown! CUDOS to you! Thanks for the invigorating question!

Answer 2

First of all, you don't have to have either. You can have an unassited homebirth with no midwife, no doctor, and no doula - just you and your birth partner, if you have one. There's nothing wrong with that.

I think a lot of it has to do with misinformation. A lot of women just don't know that they have other options.

I didn't know until after I had my son. Sometimes, it takes a traumatic experience for you to learn about the alternatives to a traditional OB supervised hospital birth.

With my future children, I plan to have a homebirth with a midwife, but mostly unassisted.

I think it also depends on the woman's personality. Some women don't want control over their births. They would rather let a doctor control everything. Others just don't know any better, and some feel that homebirths and midwife attended births are too risky. I am no longer one of those women, but they do exist.

Midwives have really come under fire recently for being a little too controlling, so many women do their research, and stick with an OB because they met their standards better than a midwife would. My OB was VERY understanding, even though I had a pretty unfufilling birth last time around. It was completely my fault and not his.

Don't forget - there are OB midwives, too. If you do enough research, you might be able to find one in your area. You can also give birth in a hospital with a midwife. You don't have to give birth at home.

There's obvious pros and cons to each side, but it's easy to choose an OB and a hospital because you're told that it's safer, when homebirths attended by midwives are statistically much less risky. You run a MUCH lower risk of infection, tearing, and other interventions that can cause serious health complications for mother and baby.

Answer 3

There are horror stories on both sides. Giving birth in general is just a very unpleasant experience. If someone says that it's beautiful and magical and wonderful that person is either an idiot or smoking reefer. I've had two kids. My first was a "natural" childbirth (I had a OB not a midwife). It was horrible!! I had a C-section for my second child and everything was great.

Even though there are medical horror stories, the death rate for mothers and babies have both dropped since birthing with a doctor became the norm. You can't argue with that. Many of the "traumas" that happen at birth would have been deaths if a doctor had not been present.

Answer 4

When I was pregnant with my first I choose a doctor for insurance reasons and I just felt safer with a OB/GYN. I had a normal uncomplicated pregnancy my labor was totally different. My labor was complicated and I ended up with a emergency c-section. We both would of died if it hadn't been for medical intervention. I'm having my third c-section in 4 days. I don't regret taking care of myself and my child. I did what was RIGHT for me. If you wish to see a midwife and do it at home good for you. Everyone should have that choice and right. I don't feel like I'm any less of a mother because I couldn't have babies the "normal" way. And I don't feel like less of a mother because I chose a great doctor that has taken great care of me the last 7 years.

Answer 5

I don't believe I'm giving anyone power, I'm putting my faith in my OBGYN because I have been seeing him for about 15 years. I know him well and know he's a wonderful doctor. I also know that even in the most uncomplicated pregnancies, there are complications during birth. If that were to happen, I would want the best medical attention I could get, and I believe that would only come from my doctor. He is highly educated and has a LOT of experience. Why do you worry about what a woman chooses as long as we have the right to choose what we want?

Answer 6

Birthing options is a personal choice, sounds like you are not pro-choice. Anyway, I used the same ob for my last 3 deliveries. Went to him initially because my current ob closed his practice the month before I delivered. He turned out to be great! Listened to my fears, needs, but he medically advised me. I always saw him, he never dismissed me when I spoke to him. During my 2nd delivery, I was induced. He knew I was scared to death and that the baby wasn't going to come for at least 12 hrs. It was the middle of the night, instead of him going home and waiting for the call, he slept in a room near me because I didn't want him to leave. Then, I ended up with an emergency section, I was put to sleep and my husband could not be in the or with me. There was a chance I would not deliver a breathing baby. I woke up 3 hrs later in recovery, my husband holding one hand and my ob holding the other. His first words: You have a healthy baby!!! Now that's a great doctor!!!! Wouldn't trade him for the world.

Answer 7

I never gave my OB the power. My husband and I made all the decisions. In the hospital as I was giving birth, I chose, on my own, to have an epidural and I am glad I did. Our hospital birth experience was great, I could still tell when to push, so the staff left me and my husband to do all the work, until the end, they just sat off to the side and checked the monitors.

It's a personal decision of any person and I think you should respect their decisions, instead of condeming them.

Answer 8

I had two induced labors with both times with an ob/gyn and epidural in hospitals. The three of us (my two babies and I) survived just fine. I think women should have that option as well as well as the option of going with a more natural approach. I'm planning on going with a more natural approach with my next baby whenever that is and using a midwife because you get more personal attention and they stay throughout your labor instead of checking up on you every once in a while.

Answer 9

When I was having my first baby I was the typical nervous worried mother, wanting the best for my baby and myself, so I booked in and went with a gyn. He wasnt the nicest of people, but I was surely glad I had him when they found out I was too small to deliver normally!! When they knew after that I would never deliver normally, I changed my gyny and was glad that I did, he was kind and caring, and he then not only had my history, but knew what and how my body was likey to react to things. I went on to have 5 caesars without drastic consequences:) I know that there is a big push to do things at home without the interferences, but what are the consequences if something goes wrong, would you really want to risk something that precious?

Answer 10

A whole slew of mostly misguided beliefs. Are there really areas in which they're not licensed to dispense pain medication? Granted, they don't have as big an arsenal as doctors, but -- re. "I want an epidural," for heavens' sakes -- it's the anaesthesiologist, not the obstetrician, who does that anyway.

I suggest asking "Should I go with an obstetrician, or a midwife?" You'll get a lot of replies with the pros and cons of each.

But -- if doctors still made house calls, I wouldn't be bothering with the rather frustrating search for a midwife I'm now going through. (Nothing but waiting lists, here...)

Most of the usual 'pros' for midwives for pre-natal care don't really thrill me. 'Spends more time with you' -- eh -- I don't really need it.

Re. "Do they know that medical interventions (when not needed) causes trauma?" -- I do, but there're an awful lot of people who don't. And I think the ones that do know have few problems telling a doctor to leave them alone when they need to.

And midwives aren't.... Well, there're stories out there about midwives stripping membranes without telling the woman first (!!); they're not perfect, either.

That said, I really don't think most women realise how many "complications" are thanks to doctors and their "help." I suspect education improves pregnancy outcomes more than anything else, including choice of practitioner.