Prenatal Care Options for UC

[OurLittleNest]

What are the prenatal care options for someone planning a UC? I expect an OB/GYN would not be comfortable with it but is it common for midwives to be okay with it? Do you have to find the "right" midwife who is comfortable with giving your prenatal care, knowing that you will UC? I'm just wondering what options are out there.

Any advice would be appreciated (personal experience, websites, books, etc.) Thanks!

[basje]

I think you'll find that it really is across the board. The midwife I saw said I was totally irrisponsible to have a UC, made special time during my pp appointment to talk about it and make me promise never to do it again. When I meet with the obgyn pp (who happens to specialize in high risk) he said he didn't think it would be a great idea but he's bias because he's a doctor. Mostly the reaction by providers seems to mirror their own fears about the birth process. Because provider reactions aren't easy to guess many women don't tell them ahead of time and just claim an "oops."

My advice is to shop around for someone making sure that you 1) get awesome standard of care 2) respects and will support you in your choice to UC. Maybe other women on the board can recommed someone for you if they live nearby depending on where you are.

Good luck!

[chase_mommy]

I am one of the 'oops mommas'. The only midwife in the area is 1) not covered by our insurance and 2) is freaked out by the thought of a UC... I NEED her there! As far as my OB (who does my prenatal care) I really like him, if I had to transfer (like last time) I trust him to deliver my baby. We get along great. I don't want to risk losing him if he didn't support what we are planing on doing. I don't see any reason why he needs to know we plan a UC. That doesn't change what we expect and need from... the prenatal care.

[DirtRoadMama]

I planned a UC with my first, and found that when I was honest with the OBs and midwives, they would not provide pre-natal. Basically, I was told that the OBs made their money from delivering the baby, not the pre-natal (that's almost verbatim). The midwives would not do it either, but I wasn't given a clear reason. I got the feeling that it was for the same reason as the OBs.

Anyway, I went with UP, and I wish I hadn't. I did end up transfering (after 20 hours of active labor, and I wasn't sure I had the heartbeat), and I was treated like I didn't get prenatal because I was a druggie. Yeah.

Anyway, I'd say let them think you are going to end up at the hospital, and have a little "oops" at home. That way, they know you, and if you need to go in, you can have your birth plan and everything, and you will be treated well.

[shishkeberry]

I've told them that I was thinking about homebirth, and they've all just assumed that I will have a midwife...I may still get a midwife, but I'm not ruling out UC either. I just haven't told anyone that.

[AllieFaye]

I see a chiropractor for my prenatals. They are hour long appointments, and she does everything that people want to hear about - checking heartbeat, my weight gain, my blood pressure - except ultrasounds. I just focus on telling them how much I don't want to find out the sex of the baby until birth, and how much my doctor thinks everything is just fine. I don't mention the adjustment part of the appointment; they don't ask anyway. I withhold that the doctor is a DC, not an MD. With my first child, nobody knew or cared that I saw a DO ob/gyn instead of an MD ob/gyn. If anyone askes pushy questions about the doctor, I merely mention that I'm getting prenatal care from a family practitioner who won't be doing the delivery. We'll have another family practioner (MD) see the baby after birth, and we tell those pushy people he's the one "delivering" the baby. He's also the one who would do an ultrasound, if we need it. He doesn't offer hour long appointments, so that's why we tell people we don't go there during pg. Since most women are so blown away by a doctor who doesn't spent all of five minutes with a hand on the doorknob, I don't usually get past that with those pushy types.

[1babysmom]

With my last baby I had an unassisted pregnancy prior to my UC, but with DD2 I had a UP up until 24 weeks then I had prenatals with a MW until the birth, which was unassisted. It was sort of a compromise with DH for our first UC. When initially "interviewing" a couple midwives around here (via email) I specifically asked how they felt about UC because I wanted to keep all my options open. I figured it was best to get it out there from the start, but not flat out say that I was PLANNING a UC. Both of them were very agreeable with the idea (the MW I went with actually UC'd two of her children).

[Kidzaplenty]

I just do "routine pre-natal care" through an OB and not mention my HB plans. It is nearly impossible to get any OB/MW care if the provider knows you will not be delivering with them.

[PreggieUBA2C]

I take care of myself and baby during pg, but with my first freebirth, I started with an ob/gyn after I was refused care by every midwife within two hours of our home due to having had two c/s. I dropped the ob/gyn in the second trimester.

In both cases, neither the ob/gyns nor the midwives would even take on a patient/client (respectively) if they knew that a freebirth was planned, vbac or not.

I consider caring for myself and baby during pg a viable option on the list of possibilities. Obviously. I'm doing it for the third time now!

[MJB]

With my first UC, I did my own basic prenatal care.
This time I am seeing a CNM who is part of a large OB/CNM hospital-based practice for the first 30 weeks (until we move) and she knows I had a homebirth last time and that I am planning another homebirth. I didn't mention the unassisted part. For the last couple months I will keep an eye on my blood pressure if I think it's necessary (it's never been high before) and that's probably it.