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I'm currently pregnant with my first, but I started thinking about it prior to TTC. We moved to our town right around the time of my annual exam, so I went with an OB-GYN who was recommended by my insurance company. It was a bad fit, so the next year I searched for a provider with a more natural view of birth. I'm currently with a midwife practice and will deliver at a hospital that is known for being low-intervention, mother/baby friendly, and breastfeeding friendly. I feel like a partner in my medical care instead of a patient who needs treating, and I like it a lot.

@runsyellowlites: Very true! Even though my OB/GYN was the best I had been to, his level of care didn't compare to the level of care I received from my midwives.

We plan on having our next in the next 2 years, and I already have my birth plan laid out! VBAC all the way.

As soon as I got my BFP, I started researching childbirth options. I really wanted a med free home birth in the water but my DH put his foot down and insisted we go to the hospital. Over here in the UK, you don't pick a provider (unless you go private of course) you just get given whoever the midwife in your area is - and he/she doesn't deliver your baby, you get whoever is on shift at the hospital (or on the home birth on-call rota) - you dont meet them beforehand. As far as equipment goes, you are at mercy of whatever is in the hospital - my hospital has two pools but if they are already in use you clearly can't use them! You can, however, choose what drugs you take etc and you can take private hypnobirthing classes or hire a doula if you are so inclined.

At this stage, its looking like any dreams I had for a particular type of birth have been scuppered. My GD means that they will induce me if i dont go into labour by 39 weeks, I'll be attached to monitors so no water birth or moving around - everything I didn't want. Now I'm just focussing on getting my baby here safely, however she comes. .

So, yeah, its too early for me to vote but i suspect i will fall into the "researched immediately, made no difference" category!!!

I started thinking about it at the start of my third trimester and hired a doula around 30 weeks.

At some point 2nd trimester one of the doctors in my HMO's practice told me to hire a doula if I wanted a natural birth. I was a little surprised that she said that since the hospital advertises themselves as being natural birth friendly and staffed by midwives. I was motivated to hire a doula by that comment.

I saw several different doctors and midwives in the HMO so I never told any of them my plan.

I started thinking about it before we were TTC, when a good friend got pregnant and started looking for an OB without really knowing where to start. I figured I may as well think about it then since I was planning to TTC soonish. I knew I wanted a midwife practice in a hospital and found one that fit the bill perfectly, so I scheduled my next annual exam with them instead of my regular gyn (who doesn't do OB anyway).

Haven't had the baby yet, but I really appreciate all the low intervention policies at the hospital and feel certain that I will have at least as good a chance at a natural birth there as I would anywhere, especially since I know DH and I are both most comfortable with me being in a hospital setting.

I thought I'd probably end up in a hospital with an epidural but I wanted a vaginal birth. Even though we are not currently TTC, that has changed for reasons beyond my control. I had ann emergency surgery related to my Crohn's disease. To spare you the TMI details, the surgeon said that a vaginal birth would be out of the question for me. So a planned C-section it is. I was upset at first, but I've come to terms with it. One less thing to think about once we actually are pregnant.

My family doctor referred me to an OB and that's what I went with. Then I slowly started reading about pregnancy and birth and learned what midwives were. I realized that type of care lined up much better with my philosophies and switched at about 26 weeks.

I was very lucky to actually find a midwife, there is more demand than supply in my area. I enjoyed the care in the latter part of my pregnancy much more and had a wonderful home birth experience.

I wanted a natural birth from the start. I didn't get it, and my birth experience sucked majorly. I feel very at peace with it, though, because it was all needed and beneficial to my daughter. If I hadn't been so educated about the process, I might have been talked into something that I later regretted.

I always knew if I had kids I wanted a natural birth. Well I got pregnant and just kept going to my regular obgyn. I took Bradley classes but didnt really discuss anything with my obgyn until my third trimester. She said very few women can do it naturally and to not get my heart set on it. C section was thrown around at several appointments too, which left me crying to my husband.

Well I was overdue and got sent to the hospital for tests at 40 + 4. Baby wasnt showing much movement and the evil triage nurse walked in and told me I was getting induced. My awesome husband started yelling at her for not explaining the why of it all. We demanded to speak with a doctor and finally when we did, he said the baby seemed fine and we could go home but he recommended we stay. DH and I talked and we both agreed to stay. I was already have contractions and was 4 cm ( I was walking around at 4 cm for weeks!!). So I got induced and chose no epidural. I had really really bad side effects from the pitocin. The doc that delivered LO said if I had an epi I definitely would have ended up with a c section.

I wish I would have switched doctors but I felt stuck. If we have any more kids I will be having a midwife and home birth. I wanted a home birth to begin with but DH was freaked out about it. Now he is totally on board with one.

Uhh sorry for the book haha.

My OB practice offers midwifes and doctors, so I had to pick early. The midwives aren't against meds and they spend a lot of time with you, both at apts and during labor. But I felt more comfortable with a doctor, and I didn't feel like I needed them there the whole time.