Had my first midwife appt today!!

[Shanti_Mom]

I was very impressed by my midwife. She has delivered close to 1100 babies (1063 to be exact), and has never ever lost a mom or baby in the process. A few have needed transports for various reasons, and she said most of the time once they arrive at the hospital they are still waiting on the doctor anyway. She is licensed and legally can carry pitocin, which can only be administered AFTER delivery to help the uterus contract back down (to help bleeding). She also is neo-natal certified to do recessutations (sp?) if the infant has breathing issues. I feel very confident in her knowledge, skills and intuition. I helped my friend doula her sixth child with this same midwife last November, so I've seen her in action and felt really good about it.

Anyway, she spent more than an hour with me. Each subsequent visit will be 30 minutes. My uterus she says feels much bigger than five weeks, but I've always had an enlarged uterus (even when not pg), so I think that's normal for me. I doubt I'm any further along than this. I was weighed, had blood pressure done (normal) and urine checked (also normal). We are planning to do an u/s at 20 weeks or so. She has access to a semi-retired radiologist who does full medical obstetric u/s's for a living. He's in Vegas and VERY good (according to midwife), and affordable compared to using an imaging center here in town.

I go back in at 9 weeks because she wants to check my uterine growth. Hopefully we'll have a HB by then, but if not I'm sure she'll have me come back the next week just to check that. In the meantime, she said for me to call her ANYTIME about anything. I really like that about using a midwife this time, to feel like I'm getting good care in between official visits!
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[rrs]

Oh it sounds like a great visit! I'm glad you had a good first appointment.

[Juliacat]

Sounds wonderful! Ours aren't going to see me until May, although I had a long phone conversation with one of them yesterday.

[mommato5]

A few more questions you may want to ask is if any babies died in the hospital after transport and how many stillbirths she has had. Ask to speak to former clients, esp those who needed transports. If she is licensed, can you actually get a printout of her track record??? Find out how many run ins she has had with the police and see if you can contact the police to find out why. Actually, contact them anyway in case she isn't honest with you. You want to know everything about her because you are entrusting her with both you and your baby's lives.

[Shanti_Mom]

Originally Posted by mommato5

A few more questions you may want to ask is if any babies died in the hospital after transport and how many stillbirths she has had. Ask to speak to former clients, esp those who needed transports. If she is licensed, can you actually get a printout of her track record??? Find out how many run ins she has had with the police and see if you can contact the police to find out why. Actually, contact them anyway in case she isn't honest with you. You want to know everything about her because you are entrusting her with both you and your baby's lives.

Those are interesting questions. Why would you assume she (or any midwife) has had run in's with the police?

I do also want to mention that she is fully licensed here in our state as well as nationally. I have an entire sheet of her credentials and certifications. Many of her former clients are my personal friends (some having multiple HB's with her) and they have nothing but good to say about her.

She also had me fill out a permission slip to be in a national survey for midwives, to be able to give feedback in a database for midwives based on their clients feedback, whether good or bad. I can't recall the name it now.

I realize that your concerns are based your own unfortunate experience and you are only looking out for my best interest. :

[mollusk]

oh! that sounds like a great apt! i hope i feel similar to that after mine!!

[bbrandonsmom]

I'm glad you had a great exp. That would be cool if you can hear the hb at 9wks. We go between 12-14 to hear, so I think I'm going to wait until 14wks. The hb makes me more attached and I think dh and I both need that this time.
We had 2 interviews with our mw. I met her and talked with her and then we set a meet with dh too. Both times she spent like an hour or so with us. Then when I met the 2nd mw I spent about an hour talking to her too. I'd say each of my visits were about 30 min or so with them after that, or longer if I just needed to talk or something. I never spent more than 10 min with our ob from ds1.
Going back this time (even though we're still in shock), it was a real good feeling. Comfortable. There is a new mw though, so I'll have to have some chats with her. She's from England, so I'm curious her training etc.
I still hope I have the same mw who delivered ds2 though come time. She just really had me nice and relaxed and she stayed relaxed too. Ds was facing os I think it is-face forward-but she said nothing to me so I wouldn't get stressed out. She didn't tell me until he came out. Being a quick birth, I'm just glad it was her. She knew just what I needed to hear.
We had met with 1 other mw and I had talked to a few on the phone, but non clicked until I met the ones at the birth center. And dh was comfy with them too, so that was a plus.