Live in Logan Circle, looking for really cool OB or midwife

[Anonymous]

Hi all,
I'm new to the area, live in Logan Circle. I'm pregnant with my first and hoping to have a natural birth. I'm not comfortable birthing at home though; I definitely want to be somewhere I feel comfortable and safe.

Can anyone recommend a wonderful midwife, or a really cool OB (in which case I may get a doula too)?

THANK YOU THANK YOU!

[Anonymous]

Whitney Pinger at Washington Hospital Center is terrific (and really cool) The Family Health & Birth Center midwives are also great.

I know Whitney encourages her patients to hire doulas, too, FWIW.

[Anonymous]

I just switched (at 32 weeks) to the midwives at the birth center mentioned above - also known as the DC Birth Center - way over in NE DC. You have the option of delivering either at the birth center itself or at Washington Hospital Center, although all of your appointments are at the birth center. There are 4 midwives on staff and I've really liked the two I've met with so far. My husband and I have spent more time talking with the two of them over two visits than we did with my former OB over the course of 7 months.

I will tell you this, though: when I arrived for my first appointment, it was a bit crazy and disorganized! They schedule all new patients for Monday afternoons, with the intention of having everyone see a midwife before or after an hour-long group discussion that starts at 2. I would highly recommend scheduling one of the earlier appointments - and you can make the appointment, meet the midwives, and stay for the group discussion without committing to seeing them for the rest of your pregnancy. If you do decide to stick with them, they plan for you to show up every two weeks after a certain point for a set 2-hour period, along with all other women who are due the same month as you. The first hour is informal and the midwives have individual appointments with each woman, then the second hour is a group discussion/activity of some sort. If you can't make it, though, you can definitely schedule regular appointments with just the midwives and skip all the group stuff (which is what I'm doing).

[Anonymous]

Around here, if you want a natural childbirth it definitely makes sense to just go with a midwife, especially since you are already open to that option. Most of the OB's are fairly conservative - and even the one's who are "cool" still don't have much personal experience with facilitating natural childbirth.

I second the above recommendations. Whitney Pinger is just awesome. She delivers at Washington Hospital Center. If she is booked then I would go with the DC Birth Center midwives. Or, if you feel like going over to Old Town Alexandria, you could go to Birthcare (www.birthcare.org). They are incredible and everything you'd want from a midwifery practice, but you have to get in with them early in your pregnancy because they fill up fast.

[Anonymous]

I second the Family Health and Birth Center. I am also 32 weeks and have been seeing the midwives there since around 10 or 12 weeks. Like the previous poster, I'm not attending the group classes any longer (mainly because they're not at a great time for me). I also agree that all the midwives there are wonderful. At every appt they ask a lot of questions and are willing to spend as much time with you as you need. You have the option of delivering in the birth center or at Washington Hospital Center.

Another option is Maternity Care Associates in Bethesda. They have all their appointments in what used to be a Birth Center but had to close in May 2007 due to financial reasons. The midwives at MCA are associated with an OB practice (Simmonds and Simmonds, I think) and they do all their deliveries at Shady Grove. I believe they have an informational session once a month for new patients.

We decided to go with FHBC over MCA because of proximity to where we live in DC (the thought of having to drive out to Shady Grove if I went into labor during rush hour was a little daunting) and because we are very committed to delivering outside the hospital. But, one small advantage of MCA over FHBC is that if you develop a higher risk condition during your pregnancy (i.e. Gestational Diabetes), I believe that MCA will co-manage your care with their OB practice -- meaning that they would still provide in all your care, including labor and delivery, along with the consult and/or participation of an OB in their practice -- but FHBC does not have this sort of arrangement available. They will let you continue coming to their classes, but you would have to move to another provider for your primary care.

[Anonymous]

I can suggest a really good Doula if you are looking for one. Her name is Allison Fordham and she is awesome. She also gives pretty Kick-A massages. If you want her information just email me and I'll send it your way.
[e-mail]

[Anonymous]

i delivered at the DC birth center (or whatever it's called now) a few months ago. the midwives were phenomenal! it was a super quick delivery for a first time mom (only 35 minutes of pushing) and i chalk some of that up to the midwives there (i can't give them ALL the credit as i like to think some of it was attributable to my efforts ). during delivery they did everything to make sure i didn't tear. i had two minor minor labia tears (as opposed to the vaginal wall, which i think is far more painful and takes much longer to heal). they were so minor that there was even some debate as to whether one of the tears was worth stitching b/c it was so minimal. they were so supportive throughout my pregnancy. while it's a hike to get out there and was less convenient than my original OB practice at 2141 K street, it was so worth the additional effort. and as an aside, i wish i knew that i could have skipped the group meetings! i thought they were mandatory!

in short, i can't recommend them highly enough! and if we have more kids, we will most definitely go this route again.

and as for a doula, we hired heather wilson. such a professional. she's incredibly kind and if you can get her, you most definitely should!

[Anonymous]

@12:02.....don't mean to hijack this thread, but I'm delivering at FHBC and we weren't quite sure about whether or not we needed a doula if we're delivering at the birth center. Can you explain the add'l role that the doula plays when you're already delivering out of hospital and with midwives? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

12:02 poster here. i had blood pressure issues during pregnancy and was always walking that line between ok and PIH. if i had shown up in labor at the FHBC with high blood pressure they would have sent me directly to the hospital. so i wanted a doula there just in case we ended up at the hospital. and we wanted to stay at home as long as possible -- in case i had to go to the hospital i wanted to be ready to go when i got there to minimize any interventions. so the doula helped with laboring at home and reassuring my husband that we weren't waiting too long. if you don't have similar issues, you may find that you don't need a doula. the midwives at the center would have been terrific in helping me labor, i think, it was just i did it all at home out of fear of the hospital. (i was fully dilated by the time we got to the FHBC). and i believe there's a doula (jane? can't remember her name) who works at the FHBC who will also help if you want it, i think. i don't think she will come to your house, but you may not need that if you're happy laboring at the center. GOOD LUCK. you'll love the care that you get at the center!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:@12:02.....don't mean to hijack this thread, but I'm delivering at FHBC and we weren't quite sure about whether or not we needed a doula if we're delivering at the birth center. Can you explain the add'l role that the doula plays when you're already delivering out of hospital and with midwives? Thanks!

As a doula myself, I would say that a doula is a little less important if you are not birthing at a hospital. There are a few reasons for this - 1. you have a care provider who COMPLETELY supports the birth you are trying to have, 2. your own internal desire for an epidural will be greatly reduced simply because it is not available, so you will find your own ways of coping - no matter who is at your side, and 3. at the DCBC you will have an awesome huge tub that you can use throughout labor and even to deliver in if you want.

That said, a doula can still be a wonderful addition to the birth and really help you find your coping rhythm, as well as being a support person for your partner. First labors are notoriously long, so imagine who would stay by your side if your labor lasts 20 or 30 hours? Yes, your partner can be there for some of it but definitely not all of it.

My first baby was born at home, and I still needed three other support people (my DH and 2 doulas!) besides my midwife and her assistant. It was extremely long and so much work - I never would have made it if I hadn't had my great doulas with me. They were able to really just focus on my comfort (massaging, breathing with me, counter pressure on my back, bringing drinks and food, reminding me of position changes, just holding my hand, etc.) while the midwife and her assistant were busy with monitoring blood pressure, fetal heart tones, keeping records, and all the other more medical stuff.

My advice is that if you birth in a hospital, get a doula. If you birth at home/birth center, then get a doula if you can afford it. If you can't afford it, make sure you have a team of people (your mother, sister, friend, whoever) who are going to help you during labor and make sure they have read and prepared to help you (give them copies of The Birth Partner). Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

FYI, Heather Wilson (the doula mentioned above and raved about often on DCUM) is Whitney Pinger's apprentice. They're an incredible team!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

That said, a doula can still be a wonderful addition to the birth and really help you find your coping rhythm, as well as being a support person for your partner. First labors are notoriously long, so imagine who would stay by your side if your labor lasts 20 or 30 hours? Yes, your partner can be there for some of it but definitely not all of it.

Why couldnt your partner be there for all of it? DH was there for my entire labor - 30+ hrs.

[Anonymous]

That's an awesome DH you have. Usually in a labor that long, the husband needs to eat, sleep, use the bathroom, and take other short breaks to maybe make a phone call or just clear his head. I've never seen a partner stay by a laboring moms side for 30 hours straight. That is awesome!

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much for the feedback on adding a doula to the mix at the birth center!! I'm now more and more sure of the decision I made to invite my sister to join DH and me during the labor process. I was a little concerned that it could be awkward with her there, but we've got an understanding that at any point in time I may want to ask either her (or my husband) to leave the room and I think they are both okay with that

Now I just need to concentrate on having the easy childbirth and short labor that I'm told (by my Mom and great aunt) has been passed down to all the female descendants of my maternal great grandmother (who also happens to be the person I was named after)....

[Anonymous]

ok, so here's my real question: I think Whitney Pinger and her apprentice would be amazing (haven't met them yet -- feel good about it though). my only holdback is that WHC doesn't have birthing tubs. I'm someone who hasn't spent much time in hospitals, so i'm not super sure i'll feel comfortable there.

Can anyone talk about pros/cons of WHC (w/Whitney) v. DCBC??

And at the risk of sounding like a total yuppie, are the both "nice"???

Really appreciate it...
Thanks all!