akbevan wrote:Hmmm. OP here - this gives me a LOT to chew on. We live in Laurel so Holy Cross already seemed kind of far to drive (though it's first pregnancy so you know I"ll be at it for days and probably not in an urgent/rushed situation). Also considered Sibley but that seemed too far away - but maybe I need to adjust my idea of what is "too far"?? I really appreciate the opnions and frankness and will consider more. If anyone knows of other options in the area slightly closer than GW that seem better, please do let me know. I do work downtown so maybe I'm being rash in not considering GW...how far is too far? What do you all think?

Also thanks for the info that Lockwood is most open to it - if I do stick with HC/CWC, that's a point for staying at that location vs. Georgia or Forest Glen.

That might be a long drive, once you're in labor. I didn't have a long labor, personally, but even if you do... by the time you drive to the hospital, that time in the car is pretty hellacious. Is there a closer hospital?

Most OBs in this area are used to the fact that many women want an unmedicated vaginal birth. Your circumstances may or may not be favorable for that, but it shouldn't shock anyone at this point.

OP, I delivered both my children with MCA and love the practice! I ended up with an epidural after a long (long) labor with my first, and just delivered my second unmedicated with them last week. The midwives were wonderfully supportive in both instances, and SG was terrific. No one batted an eyelash when I walked the halls endlessly during my first labor, or told me to be quiet when I was yelling through contractions during my second. I think they see a fair amount of women deliver unmedicated because MCA are there, so they're used to supporting women through that experience. The hospital also recently received a baby-friendly designation, and we had a blissful 90 minutes of skin-to-skin time when our son was born last week. We had plenty with our daughter, too, but the change was still noticeable.

One thing to note about MCA is that they refer for sonograms, but the practice to whom they refer, Greater Washington Maternal Fetal Medicine, is truly outstanding. We always saw Dr. Gallagher and loved him. Some people find it a pain to go elsewhere for sonos, we didn't mind since the practice is so great. Just wanted to mention that.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

I think that keeping your meeting with the Lockwood CWC group is a good idea, but I would be very thoughtful about the questions you ask Dr. Berger-Weiss. She was my OB, and there was a LOT to like about that practice (genuinely kind doctors, professionalism at every level of the staff, etc.), but I ultimately left because I didn't think I'd be able to have a natural birth with them. I talked to at least three of the docs about it (Travers, Levitt, Seidel), and, in the abstract, they all claimed to be supportive of natural birth. As I learned more about what natural birth can require, and as I started to ask more specific questions, their answers became less reassuring. Also, it seems that they play a pretty small part in the L&D process (as compared to the midwives I'm with now), so your likelihood for unmedicated birth is just as dependent on hospital protocols and nursing staff inclinations as it is on the OBs themselves. (And on those counts, HC doesn't have a good reputation.)

So, if I were you, I would make sure to ask them very specific questions, or at least questions that require specific answers: What do you do to facilitate unmedicated birth? At what point do you ask a laboring woman to come into the hospital? How much mobility can I expect during labor--how frequent will electronic monitoring be, and can I expect a heplock rather than an IV? How long will you allow a woman to labor in the hospital? What pushing positions do you encourage? When (at what week/day) past my due date would you require an induction?

When I asked questions like those, I didn't like the answers I got. Ultimately, I realized that as much as I'd like to have an unmedicated birth, I'm NOT going to be the warrior strapped to a bed simply breathing/meditating through the contractions. The only way I will possibly be successful unmedicated is if I can move, try various coping mechanisms, and be guided by people who know how to make an unmedicated birth work.

Two things regarding doulas: (1) The CWC Lockwood practice claims to be comfortable with a doula, and they probably are. But when I switched practices and had to go pick up my medical records from them, I noted that every doc I talked to had put a special note in my file that I had hired a doula. Maybe they were just being descriptive and informative, but it felt a little judgmental to me. (2) Go to the By Your Side info session as soon as possible. We thought we would use them also, but we weren't very impressed with them at their info session, so I was glad that we'd gone to it early enough that we still had time to shop around (and we have ended up with a wonderful independent doula).

Finally, I just want to say in regard to the CWC Lockwood group--I really do think they're a fantastic group of practitioners. Travers, in particular, has great bedside manner; one time I called the after-hours line for what I can now recognize as a really silly FTM worry, and he took me very seriously, treated me like I was sane, etc.--as if he hadn't been listening to crazy FTMs freak out over these issues for 20 years. So if I ever decide that I want the more traditional OB model of care again, I would go back to them in an instant.

Anonymous wrote:Would Midwifery Care Associates and Shady Grove be too far away? They may be a good match for you based on your preferences, and Shady Grove is right off the highway...
http://www.midwiferycareassociates.com/

I also hear good things about Dimensions Midwifery at PG Hospital Center -- is that close to Laurel?
http://www.dimensionshealth.org/index.php/dimensions-health-services-prince-georges-county-maryland-md/midwifery/

I think Sibley is generally regarded as even worse than Holy Cross when it comes to unmedicated birth...though again anything is possible anywhere if the stars align.

As far as the question of how far is too far ... I drive 40-50 minutes to the birth setting I chose (DC Family Health and Birth Center) because it is worth it to me to have a provider and setting that is as closely aligned to my preferences as possible. The drive can be annoying, but for me it is well worth it!

Best of luck to you.

OP here - thank you ALL for your responses and insights. I've been looking into these alternatives. I think I've been searching for advice/alternatives b/c I already feel uneasy about many things I'm hearing/observing about Holy Cross. I have no doubt it's a great hospital but not sure it's for me and feel this already moving into uncomfortable territory. I don't want to have to fight for my preferences in the midst of a scary and overwhelming experience...but I'm also wanting a great hospital that is well equipped in case things don't go as I'd like and I need/want more interventions. I think what the PP above outlines re: Shady Grove is something that's been lurking in the back of my mind. I was worried about the distance, but it's only 10 minutes further than Holy Cross (and those 10 minutes are on the glorious ICC - I can envision the drive to the hospital, just me, my partner, and that one other dude driving on the ICC that day). I started reading the Midwifery Care Associates pregnancy guide online, and I instantly felt like it was a better connection. Definitely going to give this a thought. I have a consult appt. with CWC in a few weeks and will go and ask my questions and see what happens, but definitely thinking I'll also schedule a meet-and-greet with the MCA folks. Thank you all again - I appreciate your guidance so much.

akbevan wrote:Hmmm. OP here - this gives me a LOT to chew on. We live in Laurel so Holy Cross already seemed kind of far to drive (though it's first pregnancy so you know I"ll be at it for days and probably not in an urgent/rushed situation). Also considered Sibley but that seemed too far away - but maybe I need to adjust my idea of what is "too far"?? I really appreciate the opnions and frankness and will consider more. If anyone knows of other options in the area slightly closer than GW that seem better, please do let me know. I do work downtown so maybe I'm being rash in not considering GW...how far is too far? What do you all think?

Also thanks for the info that Lockwood is most open to it - if I do stick with HC/CWC, that's a point for staying at that location vs. Georgia or Forest Glen.

What about Special Beginnings in Arnold--is that too far for you? There is another midwifery group that practices in AA County, too; I think they're called Bay Area Midwifery.

Would Midwifery Care Associates and Shady Grove be too far away? They may be a good match for you based on your preferences, and Shady Grove is right off the highway...
http://www.midwiferycareassociates.com/

I also hear good things about Dimensions Midwifery at PG Hospital Center -- is that close to Laurel?
http://www.dimensionshealth.org/index.php/dimensions-health-services-prince-georges-county-maryland-md/midwifery/

I think Sibley is generally regarded as even worse than Holy Cross when it comes to unmedicated birth...though again anything is possible anywhere if the stars align.

As far as the question of how far is too far ... I drive 40-50 minutes to the birth setting I chose (DC Family Health and Birth Center) because it is worth it to me to have a provider and setting that is as closely aligned to my preferences as possible. The drive can be annoying, but for me it is well worth it!

Best of luck to you.

akbevan wrote:Hmmm. OP here - this gives me a LOT to chew on. We live in Laurel so Holy Cross already seemed kind of far to drive (though it's first pregnancy so you know I"ll be at it for days and probably not in an urgent/rushed situation). Also considered Sibley but that seemed too far away - but maybe I need to adjust my idea of what is "too far"?? I really appreciate the opnions and frankness and will consider more. If anyone knows of other options in the area slightly closer than GW that seem better, please do let me know. I do work downtown so maybe I'm being rash in not considering GW...how far is too far? What do you all think?

Also thanks for the info that Lockwood is most open to it - if I do stick with HC/CWC, that's a point for staying at that location vs. Georgia or Forest Glen.

Hmmm. OP here - this gives me a LOT to chew on. We live in Laurel so Holy Cross already seemed kind of far to drive (though it's first pregnancy so you know I"ll be at it for days and probably not in an urgent/rushed situation). Also considered Sibley but that seemed too far away - but maybe I need to adjust my idea of what is "too far"?? I really appreciate the opnions and frankness and will consider more. If anyone knows of other options in the area slightly closer than GW that seem better, please do let me know. I do work downtown so maybe I'm being rash in not considering GW...how far is too far? What do you all think?

Also thanks for the info that Lockwood is most open to it - if I do stick with HC/CWC, that's a point for staying at that location vs. Georgia or Forest Glen.

I started as a patient of the CWC practice in the Holy Cross office buildings. I have heard that practices at Holy Cross make it more difficult to achieve unmedicated birth. In particular, I was told that my CWC practice always uses continuous fetal monitoring, and they do not have a wireless system, so you are tethered within a few feet of bed the whole time. I've also heard that HC does not allow women to walk the halls. Asking around, I tended to hear that the CWC practice on Lockwood was the most flexible and open to intermittent monitoring. But I personally decided that switching to GW was the right answer for me, even though I live within a half mile of Holy Cross.

Can you ask the By Your Side doulas which CWC group they'd most recommend? I've attended births at Holy Cross as a doula and I must say, it can be a tough place to have an unmedicated birth unless it's not a first baby or things go really smoothly/quickly. Not impossible, but definitely more of an uphill battle than at other area hospitals.

Some of the CWC doctors are tolerant of unmedicated birth, and many of them are really lovely and skilled, but I think often the HC protocols can make unmedicated birth tough to actually achieve -- nurses and OBs at HC tend to be very conservative when it comes to induction, monitoring, access to hydrotherapy (shower), etc. and these protocols can greatly impact how manageable labor is for a woman. I think because unmedicated birth is still very rare at Holy Cross, the nurses and OBs just don't have a lot of skills to support it, and it's not generally a priority for them to help you achieve it.

Having a doula will certainly help, and I am not saying it can't be done -- have had many clients avoid medication at HC, but having seen birth at many area hospitals, I think many of my HC clients have had to work harder (both as far as advocating for themselves, and just in managing labor) than clients at other birth settings. So I think it's good to try and find a practice that feels like a good fit, but also to be realistic that unmedicated birth is not something Holy Cross excels at supporting to the same degree as other area hospitals.

And by 08:14 here, I meant, 08:22...

08:14 here - I *think* each practice does their own rotations, but I'm not 100% sure. I really LOVE the two midwives at the Forest Glen location, but unfortunately, HC doesn't allow midwives to do the delivery, but I still like to schedule them for my appointments when I can. Dr. Coates and Dr. DiQuattro are my favorite OBs there. Very relaxed.
Good luck! Hope you find a practice you love.
Oh - one complaint about CWC on Forest Glen.... I rarely get seen on time for an appointment. It's really frustrating, but I'm too lazy to change practices. I just try and get early appointments so I don't get to work too late.

Thank you both - this is both super helpful and v. reassuring. I'd made an appointment to see a doctor at the Lockwood Drive location but now wondering if I should be at Forest Glen instead. It'd be easier to get to, for sure. Do they rotate through all CWC doctors who work at Holy Cross, or is it only within your office location (that is, if you are going to the practice at Forest Glen throughout prenatal care, are you only going to get a Forest Glen doctor for your birth)? I guess it doesn't matter - just seems like everyone is using Forest Glen or Georgia and happy with it and not hearing much about Lockwood.

I used CWC (on Georgia) and we had a doula. We did not, however, have a natural birth. I was induced at the advice of my MFM and the doula was there to help us navigate our options and assist anywhere she could.

The nurses actually appreciated having her there to assist me during my labor. They took care of things on their end and the doula focused on me. I thought it worked out beautifully, especially since my husband was standing there with a bewildered look on his face while different people had their hand inside me.

None of the doctors said anything against having the doula there.

I was a patiend with CWC for my first child in June 2012, and I just started going there for my second pregnancy. I use the practic on Forest Glen Rd (attached to Holy Cross). I didn't use a doula for my delivery, but I did have an unmedicated delivery. During my prenatal visits I made sure to see almost every doctor since I didn't know which one would end up delivering for me. Everyone seemed supportive when I told them I wanted to go unmedicated. Dr. Norman ended up delivering for me and never once discouraged me or asked if I wanted an epi once I told him I wanted to go unmedicated. It actually just wasn't that big of a deal to anyone. He said afterwards he didn't see many people go unmedicated anymore, but that was really the beginning and end of that discussion.
The point is, as long as you are educated in what you want and have the support to do it, I think you will be just fine.

Hi all - I'm shopping for OBs and could really use some advice. I'm looking for an OB that delivers at Holy Cross and is reasonably supportive of and open to natural birth and working with a doula (I want to use a doula from By Your Side). Was thinking of Capital Women's Care and am meeting Dr. Berger-Weiss for a consultation there in a few weeks. I realize with CWC you get a rotation of OBs and the one delivering your baby is the one who happens to be on call that day/night. Does anyone have experience with CWC and natural birth/doulas? Or does anyone have an alternate recommendation for OB?

Thanks very much in advance for the guidance and opinions!