What week can midwives deliver

[happy_momma]

does anyone know what week a midwife can delliver you at home as opposed to being too early and needing to go to the hospital? I am 35 weeks and am having some contractions and want to know when it will be ok to just go with it rather then trying to rest and stop it.

[boscopup]

Depends on your midwife, possibly the state she's licensed in, etc, etc.

My midwife will deliver at 36 weeks. That's when she officially goes "on call". Before that, I'd be heading to the hospital. Some states only allow licensed midwives to deliver at 37+ weeks.

Since you've had a baby before... did that baby come early? If so, how did it do?

You very well may be having prodromal labor. My friend started that at 36 weeks with her second child. She finally chose to be induced at 40w5d. There were multiple times where she really thought she was in labor (I talked to her during those times and *I* thought she was really in labor too), and then it just fizzled.

Call your midwife and see what she suggests.

[mysticmomma]

I think my midwife does singletons at 35 and multiples at 34.

[laralee16]

Mine does at 36 weeks

[essnce629]

My current midwives like you to be 37 weeks. My last midwife's cutoff was 36 weeks.

[Peony]

One of mine was 37 the other was 36. The one that did 36 weeks would feel out the situation and a couple days here or there didn't phase her so much. The 37 week MW would not come even a day early due to state laws.

[Munki'sMom]

Mine will at 36 weeks if baby appears big enough but prefers you to be 37 weeks.

[Lemon Juice]

My mw does 37 weeks, I think it's a state thing tho.

[amydidit]

With DD1 it was 38 weeks. That was with a CNM in a freestanding birth center in TX.

With DD2 it was 36 weeks. That was with a CPM at home in AZ.

[wild fire child]

Mine said officially 37, but when I hit 36 she was comfortable and said she would attend from there on out.
At 35 I would try to take everything really easy for a couple of days to try and last it out longer. If it is threatening labor, bedrest may help, if it's prodromal then bedrest still won't hurt

[thefarmerswife]

Yea, my midwife said anytime before 37 weeks that I would have to go to the hospital. She said it is more for the baby then me.....

____________
35w5d and counting!!

[MsBlack]

Happy momma--

the only one who can answer your question is your own midwife--since as you can see, it differs from mw to mw.

But I am thinking (as a midwife)--maybe you simply NEED more rest and such. Maybe it is prodromal labor and will not really add up to something 'serious' for another 3-6wks, and is nothing to worry about anyway. But I tend to think that women who have a lot of troubling prodromal labor are women who usually DO need more rest, nutrients, other basics. They are overworked--or maybe just a bit underfed or underhydrated--or facing too much stress of one sort or another--or some combination of factors. Thus, their bodies do not function quite right. Of course, prodromal labor can be quite normal. But the kind of prodromal labor that keeps you from sleeping for nights on end, causes a lot of pain for weeks on end--I don't consider that normal but a sign of some degree of maternal distress. Women who do get enough rest, water, food, emotional support just don't tend to have this problematic type of prodromal labor.

there is a reason that pregnancy averages 40 wks. That is the 'average' amount of time it takes for a baby to cook. While that is only an average, in fact the healthiest babies are born most often between 38-42 wks (with exceptions of course at both ends). Even at 37wks, most babies born are fine--but would see more problems of 'prematurity' than we do at 38wks or more. But 35wks is getting pretty far away from that average of 40wks. Your baby might do fine born at home--if your mw is ok with helping you at home that early. You would definitely have to be ready for possible problems for baby--and certainly would have to be very careful with your newborn during the first several wks of his/her life (more careful, for a longer time, than with a full term baby), because premies are just more vulnerable than full term babies.

So...I'm just wondering. Why do you want this baby to come out now? Why is it too much to ask to get enough rest, nutrients, water, etc? What is the advantage of having this baby sooner? These are just rhetorical questions--things I hope you'll think about. If you're having a lot of prodromal labor but it eases when you rest and such....then why not just listen to your body and give yourself and your baby what is needed?

[Belle]

My midwives attend births from 37 to 43 weeks.

[Cutie Patootie]

36 weeks for homebirth here...I believe it by law.

[phatchristy]

37 to 42 weeks here...

[DahliaRW]

Most midwives around here do 37, but it's been known to be fudged a few days earlier. I would rest and try to keep things "in" until 37.

[theretohere]

My midwife would do 36 weeks.

[bobandjess99]

36 weeks here.....

[rad]

My midwife will attend births at 36 wks. My youngest was born at 36 wks exactly and still needed a trip to the hospital a couple hours after birth because his lungs weren't quite ready and spent a week in the NICU. So personally I probably wouldn't do another before 37 wks just because my babies seem to need more cooking time. All my other were 38 wks or over. But some babies do fine at 36 weeks.

[RomanGoddess]

My midwife said no earlier than 37 weeks and no later than 41 weeks 5 days. We live in Italy and I guess the rules are different here.