help me decide on a midwife!

[lovebeingamomma]

Torn between two, personality isn't that important to me, I'm concerned about competence and support of my decisions, so here are the specs:

mw #1, CNM:

- 9 years experience, 400 births, 20 homebirths (mostly delivers at a hospital, the most popular natural minded midwife in the state for hospital births)
-Does not offer alternatives to penicillin for GBS, I guess my option would be to opt out unless indicated (water broken for a long time, fever etc.). This is less than ideal, but my labors so far have been on the shorter side.
-Comes to my home for half of the apt's, other half done at her house 25 min's away.
-Does not do breech births, concern because I would still want to birth at home
-I know her assistants, they are all fellow doula sisters
-works at a local hospital, probably easier transfer plan

mw#2, CPM:

-28 years experience, 600 births, all homebirths as far as I know
-Offers vaginal cleanse for GBS
-Need to drive 40 min's to her house for each apt.
-Does breech births
-don't know her assistants, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't like them
-Says she's a Christian on her website, this is a pro because I'm a Christian so that extra connection is nice.
-works out of state, not sure if she has privileges to do a vaginal birth in a hospital if indicated.


There are aspects that I like about both, wish I could combine them! Neither of them would be a bad decision. I just can't decide. Any thoughts? Cost would be about the same so that's not a factor.

[babyjelly]

If experience is what matters to you, then it seems pretty clear that you ought to go with the CPM. She's been doing it far longer, and all at home, which I think is important because natural hospital births just are not the same as home births. Good luck with your decision!
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[cileag]

I probably would consider the CPM too, based on experience with home birth. I'm an OB RN who birthed at home and while home vs. hospital births don't HAVE to be that different, it's in an emergency setting where they really are. In a hospital, you push a button and crowds of help come, not so at home. Also, the CNMs at my hospital never perform neonatal resuscitation and so I would imagine that the CPM would have much more experience regarding that, which would be important to me. Now, the CNM might have assistants who are well trained, educated etc, but I wanted someone who had actually DONE the resuscitation many times---since I'm technically trained and all that, but have only had to assist with a handful of tricky births.

[ferra]

I'd choose the CPM. Follow your mommy instinct though!

[lovebeingamomma]

I had never considered the recusitation experience, that´s a good point. My guess is that with those 400 births that the CNM has done in the hospital, that many of them were with epi´s, so the CPM has seen a lot more natural births, which is a huge plus in recogonizing what´s not the norm a natural labor. Thanks ladies. I have a lot to consider.

[lovebeingamomma]

Hired the CPM! I love her, felt that connection I needed to feel. And she's so old-school, doesn't do routine ultrasounds, GD testing, offers the Hibiclens which is huge for me, uses fetascope as much as possible, even does all the bloodwork out of her home office, so I never have to set foot in a medical facility yay! Don't even have to register at a hospital. So glad to feel like this is just a normal event in my life. And I decided to hire a doula which gives me even more peace.