What's the difference between going to a OB vs midwife during pregnancy?
Anyone tried both? What did you like or dislike about either?
Can you see both?? Like an OB regularly but midwife more as a consult basis?
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I'm seeing a midwife. It's a midwife center based in a hospital, so if I have any issues, they will refer me to an OB, but if everything goes according to plan, I won't actually see any doctors besides the ultrasound one. I think generally the biggest difference is midwives tend to be lower intervention overall-- treating pregnancy and delivery as something natural, not a condition. They are more likely to offer natural solutions like accupressure or massage or whatever, than drugs.
The stigma against OBs is they are more pro interventions, treat pregnancy like a disease rather than a natural process, higher rates of c-sections and inductions. BUT-- I know lots of OBs aren't like that at all, only saying what the negative feeling towards them seems to be.
I know people who have seen both and it seems like a lot of practices have both, so you will see both throughout your pregnancy and whoever is on call that night will deliver (unless you have an issue that requires an OB and medical intervention.) That's just my basic understanding! -
I have no idea since I'm not pregnant yet but I was always curious on the difference between those two and a doula. I think a doula is closer to midwife than an OB.
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Pros of Midwife over OB:
- Way more personal time at each visit, they typically take at least half an hour with you at each visit.
- A more natural and holistic approach to pregnancy and birth, less intervention-happy.
- Midwives typically work with a backup OB, so if you end up needing a consult from an OB, they already have someone for that set up.Pros of OB over Midwife:
- If you end up needing a c-section, your OB can do it. Midwives don't do c-sections.
- It's often easier to find an OB that accepts your insurance, but not always.
- If you end up becoming high-risk, you won't necessarily need to change providers.I'm seeing a group of three midwives at my birth center. They revolve in appointments so I get to know all three pretty well, so regardless of whichever one is on call when I go into labor I will know her well. I usually spend 30-45 minutes with my midwife at each visit, and I never wait more than 5-10 minutes for my appointment. Usually I don't wait at all. It's very personal care, and I love my midwives.
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@bluestriped bee: I'd always thought a doula was more for helping you during childbirth???
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@bluestriped bee: A doula is different and fulfills an entirely different role than a doctor or midwife. You still need to have a doctor of midwife, regardless of whether you have a doula.
A doula isn't a medical provider, she is there to provide non-medical, physical, emotional, and informational support.
Doulas don't deliver babies or give medical decisions for you, but she will help give you the information you need to make informed decisions for yourself.
(I'm a doula.)
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I'm seeing a midwife. I haven't been to an OB before, but from what I understand, it mostly comes down to time and practice. My appointments are between 45-60 minutes, and my midwife explains just about everything to me, then gives me the option of whether I want that particular test/scan/intervention. She will be present at the birth, and is on-call throughout my pregnancy.
I could see both, if I wanted, but I feel quite confident with my midwife. If there were to be any complications, she would transfer me to an OB right away.
As far as I know, from limited experience, a doula is more of a birth coach. They can't run tests, or do ultrasounds or things like that, but they are more of a coach/assistant throughout the pregnancy.
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@bluestriped bee: A doula helps the mom during childbirth but doesn't deliver the baby. They more commonly seem to work with midwives though.
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In my OB practice, you are assigned an OB and a midwife. I rotated seeing them initially (I think it was every other visit). I felt like the midwife visits were much less rushed - spent up to an hour chatting. Very touchy feely (in a good way). Still had normal stuff done (HB, BP, and ultrasounds as needed). I liked seeing the OB for her perspective/technical advice, but the visits were like 10 minutes and felt rushed (or maybe it's just my OB's personality).
I ended up being high risk at 30 weeks so saw the OB only after that (because of pre-term labor....after 37 weeks, I wasn't high risk anymore).
Ultimately, a midwife delivered my baby - honestly, I can't say what the difference would have been with an OB. I had a good birth experience, but I got an epidural and my pushing was only 15 minutes. I could have requested the OB -- but the OB on call was not mine, so it didn't really matter to me either way. The OB literally is right there attending to other patients so if intervention was necessary I would have had help immediately
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@regberadaisy: @Foodnerd81: @Arden: Ohhhh, ok. Thanks!
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I think it also depends on how care is structured where you are. In our area, there is only one hospital with an OB floor so all hospital deliveries are at the same place. There are 13 OB's with hospital privileges. You can decide to go to whichever OB you'd like, but when you actually deliver your baby, the Dr on the floor that day will be the one delivering your baby. They rotate 12 hours shifts on a schedule so you have a 1 in 13 chance that you will get your actual OB delivering your baby. They are not all a part of the same practice, this is every OB in the city with hospital privileges.
If you choose one of the midwives who service our area, the likelyhood that she will be the one to deliver your baby is over 90%. They also spend more time with you at each appointment, and unlike the OB's around here, don't make you wait hours in the waiting room for your regualr appts.
For my first baby I had an OB and it was not bad, but I was underwhelmed by the quality of care and next time I will see a midwife. That said, the midwives will not take on a high risk pregnancy, so if I end up high risk I will have to transfer to an OB.
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There are a few different scenarios:
Birth center/Midwife within a hospital:
will tend to be a little less holistically minded. More moms who have a MW in a hospital will choose interventions... not a bad thing - just saying they don't tend to be as "natural" as midwives outside of a hospital setting. You can alternate between seeing a midwife or an OB like this. And often you see a team of midwives and never know which one you'll have for delivery. **Not always the case... these are general guidelines and not necessarily the rule- Birth center
This is what I chose. It was a team of three midwives and we alternated seeing all three. Highly skilled and experience. We started seeing them at 10 weeks all the way through until birth.
The birth center was 5 minutes from the hospital did anything happen, but had a different backup provider they preferred that was half an hour away for transfers that weren't life-threatening emergencies (like my pre-e)
Midwives are just as skilled as an ob - except that they don't do c-sections. At a birth center or home birth they also don't have things like an epidural so it's not an option. They do have pill pain relievers though, as well as emergency equipment like oxygen gas masks.Home birth-
had lots of friends go this route and if that's something you're up for - go for it! I don't think I want to... though I might be open to it eventually. I like the anticipation and excitement of "going somewhere" to have the baby! and then the special moment of bringing baby home. -
I'm glad I had a midwife. She wasn't hippy dippy at all and very clinical. But she was in a practice with other OBs so they oversaw her. After I had pushed for 2.5 hrs, the overseeing OB who was on call told her they should do a vacuum delivery. She wanted to give me another half hour, and I pushed him out fifteen minutes later. I don't think an OB would have let me push that long. (To be fair, I was screaming "suck him out!" But I am ultimately glad I didn't have the intervention).
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