https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 10 May 2026 06:43:49 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602322 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 12:48:49 +0000 PurplePeony 1602322@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't have an OB prior to TTC (my PCP does routine stuff like PAPs) so my choices were wide open. I decided to go with a MW group (all CNMs) because I thought it would increase my chances of having few or no interventions. I ended up really loving most of the MWs and had exactly the experience I was looking for, so if we ever decide to have a second child, I'll definitely be going back! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602292 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 12:42:02 +0000 cyndistar3 1602292@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have used the same midwife at a birth center all three times because I have severe anxiety in hospitals. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602275 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 12:37:46 +0000 NorCalWayfarer 1602275@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Same as @winniebee -- combo OB/midwife practice. I'm seeing the midwife more since I'm not high risk, so hoping to be able to deliver with her. Will definitely deliver in the hospital, but would like to go med-free, which the midwife is super supportive of. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602250 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 12:32:43 +0000 rattles 1602250@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm seeing an OB, though my practice has both. It's the same OB I had with DD, but I chose him then because I'd had an outpatient surgery with him in the past and had been really pleased with his approach and bedside manner. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602246 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 12:31:58 +0000 Mrs.Someone 1602246@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wanted to use a Midwife that delivered in a hospital, but they wouldn't take me because I'm on Lovenox. So a natural-minded OB is who I went with. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602239 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 12:30:42 +0000 Dandelion 1602239@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>OB with my last one. I don't plan on having more, but if life throws me a curve ball, I'll always go with an OB after my really BAD experience at the birth center. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602223 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 12:28:02 +0000 Alivoo01 1602223@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>OB. Wasn't really familiar or heard of midwife and doulas till HB and while I was preggo. Plus, I had the hospital I wanted to deliver at picked out years before we started TTC. It's a private hospital so only certain doctors can use the facility. I chose my OB based on who delivered there. Totally backwards process I know. ha! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602221 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 12:27:48 +0000 Mae 1602221@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlek: even being totally pro-mw, the non-hospital thing scares me too! You just never know what might happen and it is comforting to me that I'm in a hospital with all the associated benefits if anything does go wrong. </p> <p>Also I think there is a LOT of variety in midwives. I had a cousin who had a home birth midwife who (to me) seemed like a bit of a quack. She was super anti-western medicine, basically every bad stereotype you've heard about MWs. She ended up letting my cousin labor at home for 2.5 days before letting her go to the hospital (she'd started asking about going at 1 day but the mw kept telling her that was a bad idea) and then when she finally let her go, told her to LIE and say her water had broken only 12 hrs earlier rather than 2.5 days earlier. Sigh. I think midwives like that give the whole lot a bad name and make people nervous. </p> <p>My practice operates just like a doc office. They do all the exact same tests (blood tests, NT if you want it, anatomy scan, rhogam if you're rh-, GSB, etc). The only difference in care that I see between my OB and the midwives is that the midwives give me an option to opt out of cervical checks before 40 weeks if I want to (and I did opt out), and they spend a lot more time talking to me about preparing myself and my body/mind for labor. Then during the actual delivery they stay with you the whole time, rather than just checking in. And like I said above-- support/have tools to help you go med free if you want to (but they also support you getting an epidural if you choose to go that route). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602172 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 12:12:40 +0000 littlek 1602172@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsMini: I wanted an OB for that reason and it's a good thing I did because LO was born at 34 weeks and had to be resuscitated right after birth before being sent to NICU. I can't imagine not having a hospital birth, my LO would have died. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602168 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 12:11:44 +0000 Weagle 1602168@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Had an OB/midwife group for LO. This time I'm seeing a midwife group. We needed to choose a more convenient hospital and this group was the right size and right philosophy for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602157 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 12:08:27 +0000 MsMini 1602157@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsF: I am an NICU nurse, so in general I favour a more "western/heavily monitored" approach. I had an OB with my first pregnancy as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602153 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 12:07:00 +0000 MsMini 1602153@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Glitter: elective repeat ceserean section :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602128 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 12:01:53 +0000 winniebee 1602128@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I go to a combo midwife/OB practice where you rotate who you see. That's what I had in Boston and loved it. When I became high risk I only saw the OB, but made it to full term and was delivered by a midwife. I am pretty by the books when it comes to health care and found myself surprised that I liked having both experiences (mw and ob). </p> <p>I have to switch practices at 20 weeks Bc we are moving and will look for something similar. But I might be high risk again so probably will be seeing an OB after 20 wks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602118 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:57:52 +0000 Mamasig 1602118@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>OB - using a midwife is pretty uncommon in my area. I only know one person who has ever used a midwife. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602113 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:56:33 +0000 danda 1602113@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used an OB but I plan to use MW who delivers at the same hospital in the future. I want more attention during prenatal care than what my OB practice gave to me as a patient without high risks. Additionally I felt like care was slightly disjointed since I could deliver with any of the OBs and I therefore saw each of them...which meant I didn't see any OB regularly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602109 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:55:21 +0000 looch 1602109@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had an OB up until my 38th week, when I was discharged to the hospital and in the care of the midwives. There was also an OB on call when my son was born, she did the stitches but the midwives handled the delivery.</p> <p>eta: I didn't decide, it's how it was done in the country where I deliverd (switzerland). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602098 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:51:26 +0000 mrsrain 1602098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>MW. It was really important to us that we have the opportunity to give birth naturally, and giving birth at the birth center increases the odds of that working out. I also really like the holistic approach they have to my care. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602093 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:49:52 +0000 MrsF 1602093@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm seeing the same OB that I saw with my last pregnancy. I'm an ICU nurse so I'm a little crazy about always planning for the worst case scenario. Plus the end of my pregnancy with M was a little complicated (pre-e, HELLP syndrome) so I'm happy for a more heavily monitored approach. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602080 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:46:38 +0000 MamaG 1602080@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>OB, I'm fairly traditional/conventional when it comes to medicine and healthcare. Not to mention my OB and hospital are both very close to work/home. And I just plain like my OB. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602068 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:43:37 +0000 Mae 1602068@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Midwife, although I had an OB up until I switched at 30 weeks. I initially had an OB because I am paranoid and I knew I wanted to give birth in a hospital where I would have every medical advantage available to me if anything went sideways during labor or delivery--- and I had no idea that midwives delivered at hospitals! </p> <p>I switched to a midwife practice at 30 weeks because I found one that delivers at the same hospital I was planning to deliver at anyways (same exact floor/rooms etc... just a different care provider). The reason a midwife appealed to me was because I would like to attempt a med-free intervention-free delivery and I feel my chances of success with that are MUCH higher with a midwife. When I mentioned wanting to go med free to my OB she told me she "didn't know why you'd want to torture yourself" and that was really no benefit to declining an epidural. I don't feel that is true at all (I think there are documented benefits to avoiding pain meds if possible). So I wanted to go somewhere where my provider didn't think I was crazy, and in fact supported my plan and thought it was a good idea too. Also a bonus of the midwife practice is that because they support and encourage med-free birth, they are more trained and have more equipment to help with non-med pain management. For example they are the only ones at the hospital allowed to use birthing tubs, which I will definitely be using. They also allow you to labor in the shower, and they stick with you the whole time and help you choose various positions to manage pain and also provide counter pressure and massage as needed. </p> <p>So basically I think that my given plan (med-free birth) will be both more supported and also easier with midwives than with my OB who really just wanted me to get an epidural. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602067 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:43:32 +0000 Glitter 1602067@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsMini: what is an ERC? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602059 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:41:46 +0000 Glitter 1602059@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm seeing an OB regularly, but I did classes with a MW and there will be both a MW and an OB at the birth - hospital policies.</p> <p>MW practices are hard to find in this area, so I went with an OB. It's just the most chosen route around here I guess. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602056 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:41:25 +0000 MrsKoala 1602056@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used a MW. I liked that I would only have the MW in the room with me along with the L&amp;D nurse. The hospital I delivered in is a teaching hospital so I would have had a crowd in my room and I'm generally a pretty private person. I also clicked best with the MWs in the practice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602053 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:41:02 +0000 oliviaoblivia 1602053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm seeing the same OB I saw with DD. My mom had some complications with my sister's birth and I wanted to cover my bases. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602043 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:39:40 +0000 snowjewelz 1602043@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>OB... My practice has MW too. There really isn't a reason I picked one over another since I'm new to all of this! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602035 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:37:34 +0000 Cole 1602035@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am using a midwife group, I wanted to give birth at the only birth center in the area and they are the only group that delivers there. I wanted a midwife because I thought the model of care was going to be different (more time, less rush, more open to alternative suggestions) and sadly I am not really getting that with this group. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602033 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:36:30 +0000 MsMini 1602033@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>PCP until ~ 20 weeks and then OB. I had a complicated pregnancy last time so no MW in their right mind would touch me ;) plus I am planning an ERC. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-using-mw-or-ob#post-1602009 Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:32:39 +0000 littlek 1602009@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Are you using an OB or MW? Why did you decide between one or the other? </p>