Womblove Birth Services

So I get a lot of questions by those unfamiliar with homebirth and midwives and one of the most common ones is..."what's the difference between a midwife and an ob's care?"  Oh where to start?  Since I've had the care of both I'l compare my experience as well as what I know of some of the local OB's here.  

I think one of  the biggest differences is the personalized care.  An average OB practice has dozens if not hundreds of clients to manage a month.   Me?? I have about 20 to 30-A YEAR.  That's 2-3 a month.  And I like it like that.  It gives me plenty of time to get to know each one and give them the support they need.  Allowing me to take the time to give great support like taking calls personally, hour long prenatals, in home postpartum care ro make sure breastfeeding is going well and mom is well supported and adjusting well. It also gives me plenty of time for my family and hobbies which is a major PLUS! So with an OB you may go to their office, wait 20 mins to an hr and get a 15-30 minute appointment.  With a midwife you will go to her office (often in her home) and hardly ever wait and get a good hour long appointment to do your prenatal and get your questions answered and get to know her.  

Another big difference is the continuity of care.  Often times in an OB's office you will see several different people during your visit and care.  First you'll see the  receptionist, then a nurse who will take your vitals, if needed you will then see another nurse or a lab tech to draw labs and then if your lucky you'll see your chosen Dr.  But most likely you'll see one of several OB's because they share the practice and only one of them will most likely be at your birth.  Soooo...take into account how many Dr's are in the practice and then do the math.  If there are 4 you have a 1 in 4 chance of getting your desired Dr.  If it's a larger practice with perhaps 8, then you have a 12.5% chance of getting the dr you choose.  Hopefully they all share similar practice styles so the details you talked about with them during your prenatal care wil still stand true during your birth.  Compare that to the care of a midwife;  who greets you at the door, does all your paperwork,  whom you see for each prenatal for your entire pregnancy, who most often does her own labs and will be with you throughout your labor and birth and postpartum.  Who knows you, knows your fears, concerns and desires as well as all of your health history.  Who you can also contact directly when you  have any questions or concerns.  Midwifery is a heart calling we do this because we care about mothers and babies and helping them have the best care and experience possible.   

Ok that's a part of the difference but here's another BIG difference.  OB's are obstetricians who are drs who follow the medical model or care.  They are well trained to assess and deal with complications.  Which means that each woman and each pregnancy is seen as a possible complication until proven otherwise.  Each woman is to be rigorously screened for possible complications whether they are at risk or not.  Ex.  each woman is tested for gestational diabetes even if they aren't at  risk for it.  Which also means that during labor you are to be monitored closely for the remote possibility of a complication, AND since an obsetrician is a trained SURGEON your chances of giving birth by cesarean in a hospital is currently 1 in 3.  Yep.  1 in 3 woman currently give birth by cesarean.  Compare that to most midwives stats which are usally less than 5% more often 2 or 3%.  Now don't get me wrong I am so THANKFUL that we have highly trained OB's to do cesareans when they are necessary!  So thankful!  But 1 in 3?!?! That's a lot of unnecessary cesareans.  Midwives however see pregnancy and birth as a normal physiological process.  Which means your body KNOWS how to grow a baby and give birth.  And we focus on prevention with diet, supplements, lifestyle changes and complementary therapies whenever needeed.  Which to me means YOUR in charge of growing a healthy baby and I'm just here to help you when needed.  We also see this as a family event more than a medical event.  Yes we bring our oxygen tanks and supplies just in case but more often than not they are not needed because we do not interfere with the normal process that is birth.  Anything that interferes with moms intuitive ability to labor and birth can cause issues. This starts with putting a laboring mom in the car, taking her to a strange (and to some a scary place) like a hospital, introducing her to many strangers, removing her clothes, distracting her with paperwork, distracting her partner and sometimes intimidating them, having her lay down, denying her food or drink, limiting her mobility with monitors and IV's, sticking fingers in her  to 'assess' her 'progress', sterilizing her privates, telling her when to push and when NOT to push and then finally often taking away her most prized possesion, her hard work, her beautiful baby.  Compare this to supporting a woman in laboring in the comfort of her own home, where she decides who and when will support her,  actively moving as her body & baby needs and desires, eating and drinking as she desires, with limited exams only when requested or when necessary, pushing when HER BODY tells her to and often times being the first to hold and touch THEIR most prized possession THEIR baby. Your body was made for giving birth and it is firm beief  to support you and your partner in giving birth to your baby, your way.