Midwife or OB - Which is Right for Me?
Being a doula, many people assume that I always recommend clients find a way to work with a midwife during their pregnancy; and I do love midwives. However, midwives are not the right fit for every single person giving birth and there are many reasons for that choice.
Start by thinking about the care you’re currently receiving:
If you are considering a midwife but have not been cared for by a midwife prenatally - start interviewing midwives! Unless you’re unhappy with your current OB, they would likely be delighted to attend your birth. If you are being cared for by a midwife and thinking of changing care - start interviewing OBs.
And if you don’t like your current OB or midwife and now you’re pregnant - switch care ASAP - like before you even have your first appointment.
Then think about the kind of birth you want:
Where would you feel most comfortable giving birth? Hospital? Birth center? Home?
Do YOU believe in a low-intervention birth? Does that matter to you?
What are do you know about birth? What are your core beliefs about birth?
Will the non-medical support people in attendance support the way you want to birth?
Then think about the kind of birth you CAN have:
If you’re having a high risk pregnancy due to a known medical condition, you’ll want to give birth in a hospital with an OBGYN. This doesn’t include VBAC - that does not make your next birth an automatic hospital birth. If you know you will have a cesarean, you’ll want to be under the care of a trusted OB to to attend your surgical birth.
If you’re having a healthy, low-risk pregnancy, you may even consider home birth, or a birth center. In either case, your birth will be attended by a midwife. (To look more into different kinds of midwives/consider home birth - look here!) But midwives do attend hospital births! If you feel like a hospital is definitely the right choice, then based on your answers to the questions above, you’ll want to seek a facility with either OB care or OB & midwifery care. Choosing a midwife and a hospital birth does not mean completely unmedicated, unless that’s what you want. Whatever the facility offers will be available to you!
think about your support system:
Your support system can play a major factor in your birth. If the people chosen to support you during your birth, aren’t happy with or comfortable with the conditions you are birthing in - it can be majorly disruptive to your birth space.
People commenting on your choice of a midwife over an OB, voicing concerns for one OB over another; it can be a hit to a birthers confidence, especially if it’s the first time! No matter where you’re giving birth, no matter what kind of birth you have, no matter who is in attendance - they need to be on your team. Educating your support person(s) about the kind of birth you’re having can be super helpful! But ultimately an attitude adjustment is all that is really required.
Who cares for you and your baby during your pregnancy is a personal choice. My best advice is to find out if your views align with the person/practice you’ve chosen; no matter what letters come behind their name.