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[quote=Anonymous]I had a fabulous experience delivering with the Midwives of Medstar (WHC). And everything was not smooth. And I would never, ever give birth without a midwife in the future. They were absolutely fabulous. I guarantee I would have ended up with a c-section if I had an OB, but I had a trauma-free vaginal birth. Also - whoever said midwives transfer you out if you need an epidural is incorrect - anesthesiologists place epidurals, whether you’re with an OB or a midwife (I had an epidural and never saw an OB).

Longer version of this story:

I originally assumed I’d use my OB/GYN who had been my gyno for years and years. I went in with my husband for pre-conception counseling, and we were so disappointed in that 10 minute meeting, that we started looking into midwives. Bottom line - OBs are doctors. In order to bill enough to stay afloat, their appointments are SHORT. 10 mins. That’s what you get. In our preconception counseling, I was told to stop drinking immediately (I was not pregnant). When I tried to ask why, or discuss more of the dangers, she just kept repeating “it’s not safe to drink.” On other issues too, we had the same problem. Our concern wasn’t the advice (not drinking when you’re trying to get pregnant is perfectly reasonable), but that basically, once you got past her advice, that was the end of the line. There is no discussion or back and forth - there just isn’t time. We felt so rushed.

So, we started looking into midwives. The issue for me was, while I really wanted a vaginal birth if at all possible, I knew I would want an epidural. I had zero interest in a natural birth, but I wanted personal attention. I also wanted to give birth in a hospital, where there’s an OR right down the hall if it comes to that. The Midwives of Medstar at WHC fit the bill. They knew right from jump I was wanted the epidural, and they were totally fine with it. From the first “meet the midwives” meeting we went to, we loved them. They all just have an incredibly soothing presence.

My prenatal appointments were an average of probably 45 mins to an hour. It was my first baby, and my husband and I had a million questions. We showed up with a list every time. We NEVER felt rushed. We always felt listened to. It felt like such a collaborative, healthy, empowering experience.

Then I developed gestational hypertension at 38 weeks. I ended up need an induction. The induction and labor took, no exaggeration, 60 hours. That’s two and a half DAYS. The midwives switch shifts every 12 hours, so I saw five shifts, three different midwives, in the hospital. They were incredible. Supportive. Empowering. Knowledgeable. Understanding. It really felt like a team effort to get this baby out. There isn’t an OB on the planet who will let your induction go that long. But the midwives let me go on. They sat with me while I cried. They discussed options, for long periods of time. They answered my endless questions. They made it clear - if you want a c-section, say the word, you can have one. They kept a careful eye on my stats, and were very open about what signs would mean that was the recommended path, but I never hit those. They gave great advice on when to get the epidural. And my little one came vaginally, eventually. Despite some real low lows, I wouldn’t change a thing, and I absolutely couldn’t have done it without them. [/quote]

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