Looking for VBAC midwife or OB in Northern South Carolina or Charlotte North Carolina area

[AlpenglowMommy]

HI My family is relocating to the Lancaster, SC or Kershaw, SC and we are trying to have another little one this year.  My first, a son was a c-section due to breech position and my daughter was a successful VBAC.  I had a wonderful OB here in Alaska that was open to how ever I wanted to do things and was never pushy even when things stalled.  She even switched the night shift at the hospital to stay with me because the on call doctor was anti VBAC (even though she has two little ones at home).  I have seen the threads on here but havent seen any recent.  Any help would be appreciated!  Also looking for a Pediatrician or Family doc and a good preschool!  Thanks

[akind1]

post in the finding your tribe section, there usually is a midwife or two that will respond to you - Good luck!

[thegoddessmom]

Try calling Carolina Waterbirth in Simpsonville, SC. 329-0010

[akind1]

I was googling for a local midwife that a friend uses, and found this resource:

http://www.sc-midwives.org/directory.html

hope it is of some help!

[wombatclay]

moving to Finding Your Tribe so a local mom "in the know" can point you in the right direction.  Good luck to you and your friend!

[MRMPM]

You should check out Covenant Birth Center in Columbia, SC. Their web site can be found at http://www.covenantbirthcenter.com/.

[greenhands]

Sadly, Licensed SC Midwives are currently prohibited from attending VBACs in any setting due to an interpretation by the Dept. of Health of LM Regulations.  They say VBAC is not low-risk and therefore outside the scope of practice.

[AlpenglowMommy]

Wow no offense but what a backwards place this is!  Just had a horribile experience at Blossom Care for Women.  It was suggested to me that Dr. helwig does do VBAC's and Springs Hospital is on the ICAN website as VBAC's allowed. After calling Blossom and asking if they do VBACS the receptionist said we will make an appointment and you cna discuss your choices with the Dr. Me: so you do VBAC's, yes you can discuss that with the doctor.  I go to my appt today and they had told me that I would have all the lab work done today and then meet with the Dr. in two weeks.  I go in for my urine sample and ugh there are no alcohol swabs in there.  They then proceed to ask me my history and take blood etc.  When I said my daughter was a VBAC they looked at me like I was nuts.  We get to the end and I ask them when will they get my blood work done.  I was told they dont date the pregnancy by blood work they do it by ultrasound!  Excuse me?  So I finally looked at them and said point blank she does do VBAC's right?  Well make an appt to meet with her.  But she does them right?  Well No, she doesnt because Springs Hospital in Lancaster "cant". I said that is not correct they choose not to I would guess.  They then gave me the Bull**** speal about they dont have an anesthesiologist on call 24/7.  I said do you understand that that was a recommendation not a mandate and that has since been modify do to the world Health Organization investigating the US c-section rate?  No one even knew what I was talking about.  They just spouted off the bs that the malpractice insurance companies have told the hospitals to say.  Then a receptionist tells me that Springs doesnt do them because "everyone they have done have gone bad".  Hmm I dont think I would as a heath care professional say that number one and number two what were the facts?  Were they good candidates? Were they ignored like so many women by the nurses and doctors?  Ugh either way this is ridiculous in this day and age that educated nursing professionals dont reserach and get the facts and that receptionists cant just tell the truth and not waste my time by having me come in when they dont even do VBAC's!  Sorry to spout off but the west isnt like this (in my experience).  If a doctor doesnt do VBACs you get told up front! Maybe I can fly back to Montana or Alaska and have the baby there!

[AlpenglowMommy]

SOoo disappointed in this area.  I found a doctors group that will do VBACs but due to the "convience of the doctors and nursing midwives" I may not get to see the same doctor through my pregnancy and will very probably end up with a doctor I havent seen in the practice delivering my child.  Whne I asked the nursing midwife what about the patient, isnt that who you should be concerned with vs your schedules she replied well what if you had your appt canceled because I was delivering a baby?  That would be fine with me.  So sad that this is the level of care women in this area of the country receive.  Looking in Camden, sc now.  

[akind1]

If you are comfortable with a hospital birth (if not, I am not sure what you would do; you could travel to NC there is at least one CPM in the Hickory area that will attend VBACs. In SC I have yet to meet a midwife that would attend a HBAC.) are you willing to travel to Lexington?

The practice I see, Carolina Women's Physicians, and the practice I saw with my first, Lexington Women's Care, both claim support of VBAC's. it is listed on their websites as a service they offer. As far as I know, most of the Lexington/Columbia area hospitals permit (I do not like that word in this instance, but oh well) VBACs.

At Carolina Women's, all of the docs are female OBs. as far as I know, there are no MW or FNP's on staff. you see one doc until you are 20 weeks, then you go on rotation through the remainder of the doctors so that you can meet each one prior to your delivery. This seems pretty typical of a multi-doctor practice. They do an US at your first visit for dating purposes (this is automatic). They did not do a blood hcg on me at all. Now, Lexington Women's Care, you choose whether to see Nurse MW the whole time, or OBs. for my first pregnancy, I chose to see the midwives. Again you cycle through everyone, though by the end, you have a pretty good idea who you "click" with, and can choose to see them. And hope they are on call when you deliver. Funnily enough, the OB who did my c-section was more confident of my chances of VBAC success than my MW was. (c-section was for failure to progress, fetal distress, etc, after a not as successful induction. hard to say it failed; got to 7 and 80% effaced. at 41+6 weeks baby weighed 6lbs 14 oz with a loose nuchal cord x1)

I only switched practices because I wanted a clean slate and no baggage with this new pregnancy. so far, I am glad I did, but I have only been seen once so far. Doc was very comfortable working around my cranky 1 year old (who badly needed a nap), and was also fine with me limiting some of the prenatal testing. the providers at Lexington Women's Care were the same way. very not pushy about tests. I appreciate that.

Anyway, that is my experience, so if you are willing to travel, I think it may be worth it.

[cinderella08]

I PMd you.  I just vbac'd w/ lex womens care