woman.centered.care

"I just want to yell from the top of buildings -

Listen to me! A better way to have babies exists!"

Letter to my grandparents about midwife care
A Heart too Glad, Diary ~ January 22, 2000

The difference in care between the midwife practice and regular OB-GYN is nearly indescribable. The term to use is "woman centered" because that is exactly what it is. My children were welcome at every exam and encouraged to help. We spent at least 15 minutes of every exam sitting on the comfy couch talking about any concerns I had, reviewing my chart, discussion my eating habits, and reviewing my family's desires concerning my birth. I had complete access to all my charts - every note my midwife took about my pregnancy. And that complete chart was giving to me after birth to keep forever.

Woman Centered Prenatal Care

How much time did you spend with your OB-GYN during a regular visit? 15 minutes? Did he ask you how your husband was adjusting to you being pregnant? A midwife will eagerly spend up to an hour with you - and you never feel rushed. And you talk about YOU, your family, your desires - it's not just "treating the pregnancy", but helping you adjust to your new body throughout your pregnancy and preparing for the "new addition" afterward. Midwives discuss things like helping older children adjust, who will be on hand to help the new mom in the days after the birth, helping daddy adjust to pregnancy and birth and keeping track of not just your physical state - but your emotional state as well.

What was your examination room like? Probably a standard clinical office with a hard bed, plastic chairs, and various tools - god forbid even used items sitting in soapy water. In contrast -A midwife may even come to your house for your checkups!! (What a Great experience!!) My midwives were in a townhouse in Alexandria VA, and every room chairs, couches and toys.

Did you take your children with you to your exams? Were they welcomed at the center? Were there toys for the children to play with in the waiting room? How about in the examination rooms? Where your children encouraged to help with the exam? Perhaps count the baby's heartbeats to help blow up the blood pressure cuff?

Were you fully involved in your own care? Besides just taking your weight did your OB-GYN discuss your food diary to make sure your growing baby was getting all the required nutrients? Did you have easy access to all your records, so you could ask questions about their notes? Did you track your own urine sugar or protein, or do you have no idea why you pee in a cup every visit?

Did your OB-GYN feel it necessary to open your legs at every visit? Or did he known that labor would happen at its own time. Did they offer tests that were against your religious convictions? Did you feel pressured into accepting these tests?

Were you assigned into a high risk category simply because of your age? Were you treated differently - as if somehow you wouldn't be able to labor successfully?

Unique Care at your birth

Is your OB-GYN going to be at the birth? Are you sure? Have you talked to all the other people who could conceivably be there, affecting your moods and your ability to labor? Do these people know your wishes? Could they hinder your ability to follow your birth plan because they don't know you? With your midwife - you KNOW she will be there. You know her intimately! She knows your husband, your children, and - most importantly - your desires for labor.

You are much more likely to have an enjoyable and sucussful labor surrounded by people you know and trust. Your wishes are more likely to be honored when your labor team is fully on board - there to help you labor YOUR way! A midwife will do that!

My Midwives: BirthCare and Women's Health

Children are an accepted and integral part of all the office visits, and totally welcomed throughout the center. They somewhat have run of the place! The office is actually a house down in Old Town Alexandria. So the main area where the receptionist is and where you pick up your charts is actually more like a large rec room. There's no walls between the receptionist and us, the 'waiting area' is actually a bunch of couches and a large area with tons of toys for the kids. There are 4 midwives in the practice, and their individual examination rooms are on the second floor. Again, each examination room is a very laid back place with a big couch to hang out and talk on, and lots of toys for the kids. There aren't any hot lights or tubs with used equipment in them. No where for the kids to get hurt. It's like a small den with an OBGYN table in it. If Pumpkin wants to stay downstairs and play, that's totally fine. It's just understood that the waiting moms-to-be watch the kids of anyone who is indisposed. Now, Pumpkin really likes coming upstairs because he is allowed to help the doctor! How cool is that! Precious usually lays on the table beside me and sucks her thumb. Pumpkin gets to help by blowing up the thing for blood pressure, and he gets to hold the Doppler machine used to hear the baby's heartbeat. They usually count out loud so Pumpkin can pretend to help there too. I think this has really helped Pumpkin understand that I am having a baby and what that really means.

The other truly cool thing is that when you walk in you ask for your chart, and they give it to you. Consequently you get to read all of the comments made by the midwives about your pregnancy. It's really wonderful to read what is going on - fetal heart rate, how big the fundus is, their comments on your health and wellbeing (ie she remains large for her gestational age.) It makes you really feel like you know what's going on with your pregnancy.