South Florida Treasure Coast loking for advice

[Lynann]

I'm looking for any help or advice in finding VBAC friendly hospitals and OB's. We live just north of West Palm Beach and would be willing to drive up to 2 hours in any direction for the right kind of hospital. I've only lived in the States for 2 years (from UK originally) and so don't know too much about how everything works about finding the right providers.

We tried home birthing with a LM with our son, but I timed out (waters broke before labor started) and had to transfer to hospital, where I ended up with a CS after 37 hours total of labor. Our midwife won't take us again until we've had a successful vaginal delivery, and we can't really afford to go out of network again.

Any advice is greatly appreciated

[purplevega]

Would you be willing to switch to a different midwife?

Kim

[Lynann]

I would switch to another midwife IF we could afford to go out of network again. We have PPO insurance and it only covers 70% of out of network providers, so it won't be an option. Finding a midwife would be easy, but a hospital and OB that seems more complicated.

[turtlewomyn]

I used to live in that area (had my c-section at Wellington Regional) and I used to have a list of VBAC friendly providers. However, it is outdated as I have been living in Tallahassee for three years.
I would contact the International Cesarean Awareness Netork (ICAN) chapter in your area for up to date information:
http://southfl.ican-online.org/

There are lots of midwives in the area currently doing VBACs, you might be able to find one that takes your insurance.
http://63.134.240.27/ffom/Midwiferyi...7/Default.aspx

Also, this midwife is a CNM who does homebirths and is VBAC friendly, but I don't know if she is able to provide them at this time.
http://flamidwyfe.tripod.com/

[utvolbigorange]

i live in the same area..there arent any hosptals that do vbac in st lucie, indian river or martin county..i know there are 3 in palm beach county and 1 in brevard county.  only thing bad is you have to use an ob/gyn that also practices at the hospital u choose...im trying to find one my self for when i get pregnant again, and im looking to going to eith palm beach or brevard county

[Lynann]

Originally Posted by utvolbigorange 

i live in the same area..there arent any hosptals that do vbac in st lucie, indian river or martin county..i know there are 3 in palm beach county and 1 in brevard county.  only thing bad is you have to use an ob/gyn that also practices at the hospital u choose...im trying to find one my self for when i get pregnant again, and im looking to going to eith palm beach or brevard county

This is a fairly old thread. I did end up going out of network again with Angela Love CNM who is based in Vero Beach. We got an out of network excemption because there were no network home birth providers within 30 miles (Florida law) but are still trying to get the last bit of payment out of Anthem BCBS. DS2 was born at home last September.

We have since moved to WPB so I'm out of Angela's area now. If you are within an hour of Vero I highly recommend her. She is very knowledgeable and definitely believes that we all deserve to choose how we give birth. As a CNM and NP she also takes medicaid.

The closest hospital I could find that takes VBAC mamas is Good Samaritan in Palm Beach County, but there is only 1 OB that does them there. If you call the L&D dept they will tell you the name of that OB (can't remember his name, but it wasn't the one listed on the ICAN website.) The other hospitals in Palm Beach don't do VBACs.