Questions & Answers

Thanks for the answers and for the compliment, Papas~Mama! I am going to do the "normal" obgyn visit first, but man, that was such a hassle! Just finding someone to do a stinking ultrasound was actually a lot more challenging than I thought and I live in Maryland, which probably has one of the highest concentration of doctors in the country. The interactions were so impersonal and the information they gave was so much worse. It made me feel like cattle being rounded into a pen ("this is the hospital where you will give birth", yeah, no thanks).

I am hoping that the experience is not the same with finding a midwife. I have to find one that is accessible to where I live, but I have no idea what to expect from an appointment with one. I need the process to be as low-stress as possible, but the whole process of finding one that will take my insurance... it seems pretty daunting!

In my area, getting into a midwife clinic is pretty competitive. I called three locations in my city the day I found out I was pregnant (and I should add 5 days before my period was due!) and was told by one that they were already full for my due date! I got spots with the other two clinics and ultimately picked the one that I was most comfortable with. For me, it came down to compatibility (don't be afraid to meet with them and see what they are like and how you "click"), and experience (the one that I decided to go with has 20+ years of experience as a midwife and the second has 12 years experience as a doula.).

Congratulations, and by the way, I love your writing; it's very creative! I'll start at the end and work my way up, but I'll tell you now I prefer a much more relaxed approach to labor and birth, and also feel like various tests throughout pregnancy for someone who is low-risk can be invasive and cause more anxiety and harm than they can help. With that in mind, I would ask for someone who will be an advocate for you if you are having a longer than "normal" labor or if you are transferred to a hospital for any reason. They should be able to tell if baby is doing well and if so prompt the doctor to allow you to go naturally instead of C-section. They should do less(if any) vaginal exams during your pregnancy(lower risk of introducing bacteria). Find out what particular labor happenings would get you transferred to a hospital(failure to dilate in a certain amount of time? baby's heart rate below a certain number? Breech baby procedure? Oxygen and resuscitation equipment availab