Thinking of changing obgyns to increase chances of natural delivery at Alexandria Hospital

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Hello,

I am at 30 weeks (due on Feb 15th) and have been taking Bradley Natural Childbirth classes with my supportive husband. I would like to try delivering as naturally as possible, if my health and health of baby permits.

My current obgyn "Physycians for Women" does not seem to respond well to the idea of natural childbirth and definitely does want to work with a doula. I have talked to 3 out of the 6 doctors on staff and that is pretty much the consensus I am getting. I am considering changing to "Physicians & Midwives" in hopes of boosting my chances for a natural delivery at Inova Alexandria Hospital.

Does anyone have any thoughts on/experiences with either practices and non-interventionist deliveries? I welcome any feedback. Much appreciated! J

[Anonymous]

There's a couple from my Bradley class that switched to Physicians & Midwives at about 36 weeks. They just had a natural birth a few weeks ago. They asked their doula for advice on where to go to get a natural birth in hospital and she suggested P&M. So it worked for them. I don't think it's a big deal to switch to a new practice. Seems like everyone does it, especially after a few weeks Bradley class and learning more about what you want and need. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

P&M is supportive of having a doula and I would recommend one if you really want a natural birth. If I had my first delivery to do over again I would have used a doula. I think the main benefit a doula can provide is to advocate for you with the hospital staff. When you decide to deliver in a hospital your birth has a tendency to become more "medicalized". I think that is just the way it is. The hospital staff wants your labor to progress steadily and they will intervene if they can to make that happen. The doula can be there to question each procedure and make sure it is necessary. Your husband will not have the knowledge/expertise to do that (unless he is a doctor or nurse, etc..) and you will not be able to do it because you will be dealing with the pain/contractions. At P&M you will have a midwife attending your birth but she may have other patients as well at that time. You never know how busy the hospital will be when you go into labor. Good luck!!

[Anonymous]

My OB, Dr. Cheryl Ferrier, in Old Town Alexandria supports natural childbirth. I don't know if she can squeeze you in at this late in the game, but she is another option.

[Anonymous]

Dr Tschabo at Va hospital center in arlington is very supportive of natural childbirth. just fyi.

[Anonymous]

One of the best ways to increase your chances of having natural childbirth in a hospital is to deliver with a midwife rather than a doctor. Short of that, the best thing to do is to stay home as long as possible -- i.e. do not go into the hospital too early. Obviously don't wait so long that you're at risk of having the baby in the elevator, but definitely wait until you are in active labor. Sometimes it's hard to tell how long you will have, but with first labors you generally have plenty of time. I labored at home for 12 hours before going to the hospital and had the baby 4 hours after arriving there, intervention-free. (Which was partly because I was delivering with a midwife, I think).

In response to your specific question, I also took a Bradley class in the spring and a couple in my class was with P&M and had a natural birth. From everything I have heard and read, it is much better to switch practices late in the game than to end up having regrets about your birth experience. It's a big deal and having someone you trust to look out for your best interests and respect your wishes is important, so if you have any doubts, go ahead and switch.

[Anonymous]

I second the recommendation of Dr. Tchabo - I've heard he is AMAZING and is like a midwife in doctor's clothing. He is also the only doctor in the area who will do a vaginal breech birth, BTW.