OP: I haven't read more than the first few posts. I'm not going to give you the reasoned, logical response. Instead, I'm going to provide emotional food for thought:
I've had four children. The first three times I was seeing a doctor - my GP, with OB consultation on the 2nd and 3rd (because my first was a c-section...as were all the others). With my fourth, I saw a midwife. I lost that baby, but I lost it after a hospital transfer, and it's not really clear to anybody what happened.
The midwife I was seeing with Aaron came by here on the 6 month anniversary of his death, with some live flowers - tulips - for me, and treat for dd (it was her birthday). We still talk by email sometimes and I feel that she's truly a friend. My GP (actually, his wife, also an MD, because he doesn't handle obstetrics patients, anymore) is a lovely woman, and I believe she truly has the best interests of her "patients" at heart.
Nonetheless, I could walk into my midwife's office today, and be completely at ease. I can't even sleep the night before a doctor's appointment. I expect to be largely disregarded as a person, and have my emotional needs ignored. It's not out of malice - it's just the way it works. There are several reasons I'm staying with medical care this time, but what I really want is to chuck the whole thing, go back to the midwife, and never set foot in a hospital while pregnant again - not to birth, not for a check-up - nothing. The doctors and hospital may or may not cut a healthy baby out of me in June - but they cut up a healthy mom and psychologically destroyed her (me) a long time ago, and have been twisting the knife ever since.
I had a say with my midwife. I have none with the medpros.
:
What a touching gesture.
) more.
Follow Mothering