A question for women who have had babies, Have any of you used a Midwife?

Question

Have you had the opportunity to use a Midwife and/or a baby doctor? What is you opinion of both.
No I am not pregnant, but thanks for thinking the question. :-)

I know that some hospitals keep a midwife on staff. And the Ob/Gyn office that I go to for my annual and birthcontrol also have one. Just trying to get feel for things before I take the plung.
And thanks for the imput from clear across the sea, I find that very interesting that you only have midwives.

Answer 1

I take it you are in the US? In the UK, you pretty much only ever see a midwife, apart from a sonographer for your scans. In fact, it wasn't until I was at the pushing stage of labour that I ever saw an "obgyn"! Midwives are oten more experienced in the day to day aspects of pregnany, and are highly trained in the medical side of things to deal with problems like pre-eclampsia or symptoms of other problems. If there are any issues they will refer you to a Dr.

As I have no comparison, I have to praise the midwives (or madwives, as we affectionately call them!) I saw up to the heavens and back. I can't fathom why they don't have them as routine in the States!

EDIT: Reading some of the other posts here, I feel I should say that regardless of using a midwife in the UK, most women still give birth in a hospital, where there are several Drs on hand should one be required.

Answer 2

I've had the pleasure of going to a midwife off and on throughout my pregnancies at my obgyn's office. You alternate between seeing your assigned dr and the nurse midwife. I find that the midwives are so much more compasionate and caring and they understand things like when you say "I was charting my cycle and I ovulated on X day so I'm this far pregnant" while the Dr always wants to argue that the pregnancy wheel is the right and true way and no one should ever question the wheel even if it means you are overdue before you are even really term. Dr's also won't tell you about SAFE things you can do to help prevent being overdue like taking Evening Primrose oil capsules starting at 37wks. It doesn't cause labor or contractions, but adds extra prostagaldins(the same thing found in semen) that helps thin out a cervix therefore hopefully preventing being 43 wks and induced. I'd love to have one for birth, but our forced to go to hospital doesn't have midwives on duty because they are Csection happy and drug happy and midwives don't do those things.

Answer 3

I had a doctor for a first one and was supposed to have a midwife for the second but the baby came before she did, lol. However, my daughter and daughter in law have each given birth twice with midwives and I thought they were wonderful. In my experience the midwives spent more time with them during the deliveries than any doctor I've ever seen. They also seemed more concerned with what the Moms wanted than what they thought was the "right" way to do things. So I'm very pro midwife.

Answer 4

I know only one person who used a midwife. And the baby died because the midwife allowed the baby to stay in distress for too long. The grandmother is a doctor. She looked at the heart beat readings that were constantly being recorded during the labor and said that it was obvious that the baby was having problems and the nurse midwife did nothing to deliver the baby faster to save it's life. And the birth took place in a hospital so it wasn't like help wasn't available. A real tragedy for that family.... And as it turns the baby would have been the only grandson in the entire family.

I know there are competent nurse midwives out there, the one above came highly recommended to the parents though. But this one incident would give me pause to consider one.

Answer 5

I went to an OB who had a certified nurse-midwife on staff. I saw her a lot more than I saw the doctor, in fact, and she was the one who was there when it was time for my baby boy to be born. I thought she did an excellent job, and definitely had a better bedside manner than the doctor did. She was gentle and kind and did everything she could to make me comfortable and make sure I wasn't any more nervous than I had to be. Unfortunately, there were complications with my son's birth and after a few hours they had to call in the doctor. She was more businesslike and not as comforting, but the fact was that she knew more than the midwife did. That's probably the only reason my son is alive today. In short, I would say there's nothing wrong with using a midwife, as long as you know there is a doctor nearby in case something goes wrong.

Answer 6

I never got to have a midwife. I moved late in my pregnancy for the first one and I had my mom come in with my husband for support. My doctor was fantastic and there was a very supportive nurse as well who acted like a midwife .
The second time I didn't even have time to get my mom to the hospital he was born 15 minutes after I arrived.
When the time comes it is best to do what you think is going to make you most comfortable. Have who is going to help you the most.
I did manage to have both with no drugs.
The one thing I did note in the second birth was that with a baby doctor...they are always busy. The night Avery was born she was away so she couldn't have been there even if she had made it on time.

Answer 7

I have heard that midwives are great, but never had the opportunity of using one. I have used an OBGYN and he's awesome too. I prefer using him because he has a staff and if something happens and he's not available someone can always help me. Another thing is there is something about being in a hospital that makes me feel more comfortable in such a critical state because I know there is staff there and supplies. Giving birth at home to me would be like giving birth at work, there is so much going on at my house, phones ringing, guests arriving, TV's going, music playing...its just not a peaceful place for me, unlike someone else who doesn't have so much going on.

Answer 8

Midwives are amazing and wonderful and wise. Just be sure to find one that is a midwife and not as we say, a "medwife". The whole point is to avoid medication and allow the baby to decide when and how to come. Midwives also spend you entire labor with you in the hospital, unlike doctors who just call in and arrive at the last minute to catch your baby and/or cut you up.

Answer 9

I had my first baby (1960) with a midwife and the second two in hospital. Both ways is fine. I found I had more rest with the second two because with my first everyone came round and visited and I had a long birth time and was exhausted, so I did not get much rest together with looking after the baby. But these days you are not in hospital long are you. So you still wouldn't get much rest. Either way you survive it all.

Answer 10

I absolutely LOVE my midwife. He is so much more personal than a doctor and treated me like a human and not just another pregnant lady. My midwife has been thee main persn I go to for the past two years!!