Anyone used a midwife?

[mommies rule]

Curious to know if anyone out there has ever used a midwife? What was your experience like? Would you recommend it?

[GABLUEYES13]

I did and I loved them. The practice I went had several and the midwives are usually not as booked up as your regular OB doctor. Plus, my midwife delivered my baby and she was so sweet. I guess it is a personal preference, but my experience was great.

[sarah.princess19]

I gave birth in a birthing centre, which is midwife run, but connected to a hospital so if necessary I could be transferred over to a doctor should complications arise. I love having a midwife deliver my baby - they are lovely and non-invasive, they are much less likely to cut you or push for a c-section or other surgical options. I couldn't complain about my labour, it was in a very relaxing setting and we were in control to do what we liked with minimal monitoring. The midwives were lovely and very competent. Although it's worth mentioning that I'm in Australia, so I'm not sure if the birthing clinic's are available world-wide, but I'm sure the standards of midwifery are the same.

[mt7917]

Everyone should read Marsden Wagner's book, Born in the USA. It's an excellent book about the current state of maternity healthcare in the U.S. He lays it all out for us. I truly believe that if your going to give birth with OB's in a hospital setting, you should have a doula. You should thik about what kind of birth you want and who has a track record that reflects the same sort of philosophy about birthing... Also, a lot of people think that midwives are against pain relief (drugs) during birth and hospitals. This is not true. It's going to take some research but it's worth it.

[sweetpea101506]

I used a midwife/doula for my first pregnancy and I can not say one bad thing about it. This time around, I'm definitely opting for the same way as it honestly made the labor and delivery faster and less painful: I had no drugs, and I'm very proud of myself for it. I think that if I didn't have that support there, I wouldn't have been able to go natural. I suggest going with a midwife.

[Kiri]

I had a midwife and she gave me so much support that the pregnancy was a joy. She answered all my questions and it was relaxed and informal which for me is far better than a clinical setting. I told her what I wanted and I devised my birth plan, she followed it as close as possible. After bubs was born, she helped me with breast feeding and gave me more emotional support whenever I needed it. This time around I was advised to be under an OBGYN due to my age and some complications I had last time but I am going for a midwife again as if they have any concerns they refer you to a specialist anyway. I love how midwives encourage you to do what is right for you. The support they give makes it a wonderful experience and one you have control over.

[Mommy2Three]

I had the most wonderful midwife, she was fantastic.