Seeking Opinions & Possibly Referral

You can definitely get an epidural if you use a midwife. They offer the same pain management that you would receive using an OB/GYN. I went to the Dartmouth Hitchcock midwives and developed complications during delivery. My daughter's heart rate was dropping. They very quickly had me in for a c-section and stayed with me through the whole operation. I would recommend them to everyone.

Hi A.. I delivered a healthy baby girl nine years ago with the help of a wonderful midwife. I didn't plan on a midwife delivering my child, but she happened to be on shift at the time. There were other doctors that were at the hospital as well that checked in on me. Ultimately, I was very pleased with the midwife. She was very caring and encouraging. As a matter of fact, the doctor that came in was very impatient with me (I wasn't dilating fast enough for him--he wanted to go home), and he just wanted to do a caesarean. It was the midwife who kept saying, "No. She can do it. Just give her a little more time.". The midwife was correct--I did deliver vaginally. I am happy to say that doctor is no longer at the hospital I delivered at. I am very grateful for the midwife who delivered my daughter. I did have an epidural, and as long as you deliver at a hospital, they will offer it to you (if your dilation isn't too far along). Good luck!

I went to Harvard Vanguard Kenmore practice and they have midwife/OB teams. Not sure if other Harvard Vanguard locations do the same thing. You can see the midwife for almost every visit and have them be your person at birth, but have a relationship with and full back-up of the doctor as well. I was a scheduled c-section in the end, so I can't tell you how the midwife was at birth, but for visits it was actually not really different between midwife and OB. Everyone was caring, responsive and respectful of my autonomy.

I used South Shore Midwifery for my first child and am with them now for my soon to be second baby. I delivered at South Shore Hospital, surrounded by all the amenities and modern technology you could hope for. The midwives have an OB on staff who checked in at a few different points during the labor. I had an epidural with the first, but hope to go without this time... the only soreness I had after the labor was in my back where the injection was. South Shore midwives are fantastic. I recommend them highly. ###-###-####

hi A.,
my advice would be to ask for referrals for midwives that your friends and people you trust have liked, and ask LOTS of questions before you commit yourself. with my first baby, i lived in a state where midwifery is highly regulated, and we had very few options. we ended up working with a co-op attached to a hospital where there were four midwives. i felt great with three of the midwives, but something about the fourth one made me uncomfortable. i shrugged the feelings off, but of course...on the day i went into labor, the midwife-on-call was the one who had made me feel uncomfortable from the beginning. it turned out that she took a highly medicalized perspective, pushed interventions on me that i had specified in my birth plan i did NOT want, and didn't treat me with the gentleness and understanding that i had expected and NEEDED from a midwife. the birth experience ended up in a traumatic c-section that, 10 months later, i am still healing from. the point is: all midwives are not created equal :)

with my next baby, i am going to ask every potential midwife tons of specific questions (e.g., what would you do if my membranes ruptured prematurely? what would you recommend if labor was not progressing normally? under what circumstances would you recommend various interventions, including c-section?) if i get an answer that doesn't sit right with me, or i have any uncomfortable feelings, this time i will NOT be afraid to leave that care provider in the dust and find one who makes me feel safe, understood, and respected. because after my last experience, i believe a positive birth utterly depends on having those kinds of feelings with your care provider.

Hi Alison it sound like you are thinking of having your baby at home with a midwife or at the hospital? I would be more than happy to talk with you either email or phone. I had an ob for my first child. My second child I had a midwife through my health insurance that worked in a hospital so she could deliver in the hospital. I had all my scheduled appointments with her. I also hired a midwife on my own because I decided that I wanted a homebirth for my second child. I chose to have both people in place because if there was a problem I could go to the hospital and they would have all my prenatal care on record. Let me know if I could be of more help to you. B.

I have had a wonderful experience with my mid-wives who are located in Burlington, VT. They are a group of 6 midwives who are associated with the local hospital, FAHC. I have found this is the best of both worlds. I get the hands on, high touch care I would expect from a midwife but in a more traditional environment. They have a lower rate of epidurals, c-sections, episiotomies, etc. HOWEVER if you want an epidural or an episiotomy or whatever, they are very open to that too. And while I am guarenteed to have a midwife on-call 24/7 to deliver my baby, there is also always an ob/gyn on call as well in case there should be an emergency for something like a c-section. With my first daughter I was 16 days late and they insisted on inducing (they didn't want me to wait that long!). Although my mid-wife encouraged me to stick with the natural labor I had planned, I never felt pressured and did take an epidural eventually. I am expecting my second in May and this time I am planning on an epidural, which is fine with them. I think that independent midwives would probably be more likely to frown on any sort of intervention during birth. Basically, you just need to find the one that is right for you! Good luck!

a midwife is great because she is the person at time of delivery that is in your corner. usually you meet several times and discuss what you think you want that event to be. Then when the time comes and you are in no place to make decisions she knows what you want. It is extra support for having a baby, nurses are usually ok, but they have other patients, and the doctor is usually just there to cath the baby after you do all the work. Midwifes are also great with nursing and after care. I would suggest that everyone has a midwife.

I had the midwives at Dartmouth Hitchcock on E Hollis Street in Nashua for all 3 of my babies. They were great. I actually had an issue with my blood pressure with my first baby and the on call OB/Gyn had to deliver. There is always a doctor around if needed. I had an epidural with 2 of my births, my third came out too fast! I hope this helps.

Sam
Mother of 3 - Devin 6, Donovan 4, Mya 2

Hi A. - My office has 4 docs and a midwife. For my first delivery, we had the midwife (she was on call) which is what we wanted. We had a doula as well. It was really wonderful. Although I know both would have opted for drugs and/or epidural if things got too tough, they really coached me so well throughout the whole thing, and I didn't need any drugs at all. I felt most comfortable with that type of office - knowing that there are doctors available if need be. I'm due with my 2nd in 6 weeks and am hoping again for the midwife.
Good luck!

Hi A.,
Midwives are excellent, at least mine was! I'm not sure where you are located, but her office/birthing center is in Concord, N.H. and her name is Jeanne Brown C.P.M. She attends home births as well, which is what I chose for the birth of my daughter. In New Hampshire and most states midwives are required to perform all the same prenatal visits as well as carry similar medical equipment. In cases where there are any issues with the baby, they promptly transfer you to a hospital. Most people do not know that homebirths actually have a LOWER infant mortality rate than hospital births. I do not believe they use epidurals, as this is considered something that hinders the birthing process...but I could be wrong. The care and connection I felt I received from my midwife was priceless! Being able to birth in the comfort and privacy of my own home was beyond words! I highly reccommend it to all moms to be! There is a wonderful book/course out called Hypnobirthing The Monagan Method that I also highly reccommend...its a wealth of information on birthing, how the body works, relaxation techniques, etc... Good luck with everything and don't hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions!

Depending on the midwife you can still have an epidural. Depending on the midwife you will also have an oncall doctor to help out if necessary. I used a midwife for my two youngest and she worked with doctor's who would be available if something became to much. Also, there is always the doctor oncall in the hospital.

Yes, you certainly can get an epidural with a midwife, so long as you deliver in a hospital. Most midwife groups operate this way, they see women for regular appointments and prenatals at a clinic, and deliver at a hospital. They usually have an attending physician, who is on the ward, but does not attend the actual delivery unless there are complications. Anaesthesiologists are there at the hospital, too, so you can get an epidural. I deliverd at Mount Auburn hospital, with an attending midwife and nurse. I had an epidural, and a successful birth, not 100% natural, but safe and without an MD or the specter of an unnecessary C-section. Midwives are also really great about helping you get established with breastfeeding.

I think midwives are great, they just spend more time with you, and help you feel less nervous and tense, lowering the risk of unnecessary procedures. They approach birth as challenging but positive, not as a medical condition that needs correction. They also spend more time with you at prenatals, providing a warm, almost motherly/sisterly environment that I think contributes to a more relaxed, safe and successful birthing experience. I wish you lots of luck with yours!

Oh absolutely try and find a midwifery practice! The prenatal care is so much better and thorough and less rushed.

All of the Certified Nurse Midwife practices at hospitals could still offer you an epi if you thought you needed one. There are really great midwifery practices all over: Mt. Auburn, Newton-Wellesley, North Shore.

If at any point you "risk out" of midwifery care, you could return to your OB, or if it were to happen in labor, the midwives would still be by your side if they brought an OB in.

I had a midwife with both my children. The practice I went to had 4 that you would see throughout your pregnancy so that you would know all of them. That way, whoever was on when you went into labor, you would know them. I had one that was my favorite. It was a great experience. I delivered both children at Brockton Hospital (which is where the midwives can go). They were great to see for pre-natal. You can have an epidural if you want (I did for my first), and at Brockton, there is always an OB standing by just in case. For my first, I had to be rushed in for a C-section. The OB did it, and the midwife was there to assist, which was nice. For my second, we ended up with a C-Section also. So you have the care of the midwife, but the security of the hospital just in case.

Hi A., I am a labor and delivery nurse. I work with midwives quite often. Midwife patients can have epidurals. You make your needs known during your prenatal visits. If complications should arise, the attending physicians in the group will become involved in your care. I enjoy working with the midwives and many patients like them very much.
Sincerely,
D.

Hi,
I went to a practice that had both midwives and OB docs. I always saw the midwives but the docs are available if you need them either during pregnancy or delivery or whenever. And both of my deliveries were in a hospital and yes epidurals etc were readily available. I really loved my appts with the midwives during pregnancy. And most stay with you during the whole birthing process to the extent they are able.
My advice would be to research midwives in your area because there are lots of different options depending on where you live. God bless.

i had a midwife for my birth. i did choose to do it all natural, but epidurals and pain meds were always an option. i loved having a midwife, i went to an ob/gyn for the first couple months and felt like they just wanted to get me in and out, didnt ask me about how i was feeling emotionally and have a real conversation with me. the midwives let me have as much time as i needed to talk about whatever i wanted and really cared. they are all about the birth being YOUR birth, the way YOU want it. i would say if you can find a midwife in your area GO FOR IT! it was the best decission i could have made. oh and also, there was a doctor on call, just incase, luckily i didnt need him!

Congratulations! I saw two midwives at two different practices (we moved) during my pregnancy and had incredible care by both. I sought ob/gyn practices that had certified nurse midwives in their practices. So when I had a slight complication, my midwife had an ob from her practice check the baby as well.
I had an epidural during my delivery, my midwife had to order it, the nurses couldn't. Being at the hosptial, I felt secure with the care the baby and I received. I'd do it again with a second!

Heya! I used a midwife for the birth of my daughter and really enjoyed the experience. As far as drugs and an epidural, that depends on the midwife. I know several practices that administer epidurals and drugs but there are others that don't. So, that's a question you'd want to ask before deciding to work with one. My midwife had a ob/gyn that she worked with at her hospital in case of complications during delivery. I don't know if you could request a particular ob/gyn. Again, I think that's something you'd have to ask the individual midwife.

Good luck with your search!

I have had both of my children at Mt Auburn with the midwives there and I can't praise their team enough. The Prenatal care was awesome with lots of choices and personal agency encouraged. The delivery experiences were both really difficult physically but the staff there made them wonderful. I do think they administer epidurals as well. Highly recommend them.

I had a great experience with the Midwives at Mount Auburn. I think that as long as you are not high risk, it is a great way to go. They encourage natural births, but you are totally able to get an epidural or whatever else is available. I found them to be more casual, less rushed, and more holistic. Hope that helps!

I went to the Back Cove Midwives in Portland ME with my two pregnancies (2003 and 2005). They are a team of three great women, and you see a different one for each of your appointments so the day of the delivery you are really comfortable with whoever is on call. There is also a OB/Gyn in the same building, who they work with in case of complications. Luckily I never got to meet her.

If you know you definitely want an epidural maybe a midwife is not your best option. I don't think 100% natural is their "rule" but it can definitely be done that way. Your body and mind are strong, much more than we give them credit for.

I highly recommend my midwives to you, and wish you the best of luck.

I have had two children with OB's/OB group. They are now 12 and 15 years old. Neither experience was what I would consider positive. Being as this is likely to be my last child, I wanted to actually try to enjoy being pregnant and feel supported. I now see a group of midwives, so it acts like an OB group. I see the same one each visit (with an occasional exception), but I have spoken to a few of them by phone and each and every one of them has had the same down to earth, kind and patient approach with me. To me the difference is night and day. I have never felt rushed, they all taken all of my questions seriously-no matter how silly. I have never had to wait for more han a few minutes to speak with one of them by phone( I stand by with the page operator while they are reached. I had NONE of these things with the OB's. In fact, with my son they missed how big he was or simply chose not to share it with me-even when I asked. There were subsequent complications with his birth that could have turned out very badly, which luckily they did not. It felt very much like an assembly line pregnancy and I was just another customer.
The midwives make me feel like a person, and somebodys mother.
To answer you other questions, yes you can have pain management, even epidural. My midwives deliver at a major teaching hospital ( I didn't want to deliver at my local small hospital-no level III nicu there), and there are always OB's (who work clsely with them) in the event of an emergency, like a section. In my case, I wanted someone who would support my desire for a natural childbirth and not push pain meds or induction methods on me without discussion. Being a midwife patient is allowing me more leeway to use my birth plan-like limiting cervical checks and refusing IV's unless really needed. They also do postpartum care and some routine GYN follow up.
Unfortunately I was unable to find a midwife on the southcoast to fit my needs-I go all the way to Boston. BuT it is darn well worth it to me. check out www.ultimatebirthplan.com for some more great info.
congrats and feel free to message me anytime.

Any decent midwife is there to advocate FOR YOU, not push their agenda on you. If you would like to go this route, I would suggest bringing up the topic right away with midwives you meet with to get a sense of "how they advocate for patients" rather than ask "will you let me have an epidural?" At the end of the day, it is your birth, and you have a right to have the one you want that is within the realm of safety and health.

Alison,

Hi. I delivered with Dr. Beth Hardiman who is essentially like a midwife herself in terms of her philosophy. She works with a midwife in her practice~it is just the 2 of them and they are based out of MAH. They are both amamzing. I had two prior pregnancies both of which ended in miscarriage and for these two I was at MGH. When I became pregnant this last time with my now 7 month old son I was referred to Dr. Hardiman by a friend/colleague who had attended many births where Dr. Hardiman was delivering (my friend works as a doula and massage therapist). So she saw frist hand how amazing Dr. Hardiman is. The midwife in the practice, Arianna Stein is also wonderful. I just can't say enough about how amazing they both are. In terms of going with a midwife, I do believe all midwives have an MD that is available at the hospital if something goes wrong. If you have any other questions I am happy to share my experience.

Hello!
I loved having a midwife... One of the things that was really important to me (especially as a 1st time mom) was that they tend to take a little more time with you... the visits don't feel as rushed and they tend to take more time answering questions. Your also more likely to see them same person more often. I delivered in a hospital and all the meds and epidurals were offered to me. Although I chose not to take them and did go "natural", my midwife wasn't opposed to me using them if I needed them at all. And, I liked that I had someone who was more into taking a more natural route and have more natural solutions to labor and delivery. I plan on having a midwife with all my pregnancies! Hope this helps! :)

Hi A.,

If you're close enough I can't tell you enough wonderful things about the Cambridge Birth Center. Awesome Awesome Midwives there. Plus they are right across the street from the Cambridge Hospital in case there are complications.
If you want an epidural then you need to be at a hospital. The midwife will be there with you but I would highly recommend not getting one for a couple reasons. One, it affects the baby and makes them tired. Two when you push you won't be able to tell if you're pushing and three you'll tear a lot more than you would if you do it naturally.

Good Luck, whatever you decide to do.

E. P

Congratulations! I had a midwife, Sherin Langler at MGH. I had an epidural for both kids. First was induction and second I just couldn't do it. Nobody made me feel bad or questioned my decision. There are OB's there at the hospital and I was seen by one often during my labor with the first. So I feel I got double the service. I really loved my decisioin to deliver with a midwife. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Best of luck to you!
J.

Hi A.!

I had my first at Women & Infants hospital, in Providence, RI. I had a midwife. She was GREAT! The best part was that I was in a "hotel room" type set up, bed, bath, my own cds, couches for loved ones.... but that I was in a hospital, so if anything ever went wrong, I only had to go upstairs. I don't know about the epidural, my thought is probably no, but they did hool me up to an IV, just in case & gave me some petosin. I would definitely recomend this situation if you can find it!

Good luck!

K. :)