New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

VBA2C in Rhode Island

post #1 of 21
6/28/11 at 9:20am
Thread Starter 

Does anyone know of someone who has had one done in RI the last year?  I am having a very difficult time finding a care provider who will even talk to me about it.  Help please!!!

Reply
Reply
post #2 of 21
6/30/11 at 12:49pm

I had no luck myself, so I ended up having a homebirth. I only had one c-sec though. Are you open to that possibility? Also, I discovered that Pawtucket Memorial Hospital (might just be called Memorial now, not sure) is the best kept secret in R.I. for natural childbirth and I think better about vbac than most places. Woman and infants is awful vbac-wise in my opinion. I can't remember the midwife I spoke to from there, it will come to me though. I'll get back to you with her name. If I hadn't gone the homebirth route I'd have gone with her.

Reply
Reply
post #3 of 21
6/30/11 at 5:46pm

.


Edited by Sage Green - 11/26/11 at 1:52pm
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 21
6/30/11 at 6:58pm

how about mary mumford hailey?

She has priveliges at memorial, which is a very birth friendly hospital.

There are many threads here mentioning Memorial and MMH.

 

Good luck !

Reply
Reply
post #5 of 21
6/30/11 at 7:57pm

Nancy Farr CPM from CT will travel to RI for homebirths. She did my VBAC last year and was wonderful- very caring and earth-mothery.  Loved her.

Reply
Reply
post #6 of 21
7/1/11 at 10:31am

You may have trouble bringing in a provider from outside of the state.  Many of them have recently received cease and desist letters from the RI Dept. of Health.  It seems that RI is no longer looking the other way.

 

However, I would encourage you to contact ICAN of RI -- there is a meeting at Bellani in Warwick on July 10th. They'll also be screening the movie DOULA!

 

I would also suggest contacting Mary Mumford Hailey, Dr. Susannah Magee and Dr. John Morton -- they all practice at Memorial -- and if a C-section was needed, they practice gentle Cesarean there routinely. They are very gentle providers and they pioneered the Gentle Cesarean at Memorial.

 

Additionally, I would strongly encourage you to consider getting a doula.

 

I wish you a lot of luck!  Please let us know how you make out!

 

Reply
Reply
post #7 of 21
7/1/11 at 10:33am

If you are considering a homebirth, you may also want to look into the RI Home Birth Collective  ( http://www.homebirthri.org/ ).  They also have a facebook group that would be able to answer questions like this.

Reply
Reply
post #8 of 21
7/1/11 at 1:47pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks all for the input.  Memorial only allows VBAC after 1 section.  So far I've found out that W&I is the only hospital in RI that will allow it, and it is up to the doctor's discretion.  I have not gotten much further, as I have asked the midwife at my practice (Bayside) and she is bringing it up for consideration at their weekly staff meeting.  I'm not very optimistic, as my last c/s was in November 2010, which is 14 months from my due date; from what I understand, in general VBAC policy is 18 months between births.  My midwife was shocked when I informed her that I called W&I and was told that VBA2C WAS allowed and HAS BEEN DONE in the last several months. I've been told that Dr. Jane Sharp of Center for OBGYN was the doctor who did the VBA2C, but that's a rumor at this point.                 

 

I'll update as talk to providers and learn more!

Reply
Reply
post #9 of 21
7/1/11 at 1:57pm

Thank you for the update Gracie!  If your practice won't consider allowing it, I would next try Women's Care (they admit to W&I). 

 

Also, recently Dr. David Beitle recently advocated for the FIRST gentle cesarean at W&I.  Maybe he would be sympathetic to your cause?  I know one of the doulas loves him and uses him as her provider.  Long ago, he attended her birth in the ABC when it was in the basement.  From what I understand, he won't attend births in the ABC any longer, but she really speaks very highly of him.  It can't hurt to call and ask.

Reply
Reply
post #10 of 21
7/1/11 at 1:58pm

I'll ask some of the other doulas if they know of any providers supportive of VBA2C and get back to you as well.

Reply
Reply
post #11 of 21
7/3/11 at 6:25am

Hi there!

 

Here is some information that I was able to collect:

 

Dr. Jane Sharp
http://www.center-obgyn.com/our-providers/jane-sharp.asp

 

or

Women's Care: Dr. Wayne Clairborne or Dr. Gretchen Paranya

Ob-Gyn Associates: Dr. Adrienne Perry. (Dr. Perry does not have a warm fuzzy manner at all, but she is a good person and a good doctor and is most in tune with policies, etc. in that practice).

If you want midwifery care, I was told you should see one of these OB's first, get the green light on the VBAC, and then maybe after a visit or 2 ask to have midwifery care. Both practices are supportive of VBAC in general. Ob-Gyn Associates does have a policy of having the woman schedule a repeat C/S "just in case" there is a change in the plan since OR space is tight. Some women do not like that. Women's Care doesn't have that policy. There may be other doctors who would consider it, so this isn't an exhaustive list...I do think these 2 groups are probably the best bet for W&I , though. Hope this helps.

Jane Sharp, M.D. : Meet Our Providers : Center for Obstetrics & Gynecology
www.center-obgyn.com
After medical school, Dr. Sharp pursued a year of additional training at Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA in advanced laparoscopy and minimally invasive surgery.
 
Please let me know how you make out!
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 21
7/3/11 at 3:23pm

I had a successful and very supportive VBAC at Woman and Infants. My experience there was great and they encouraged me to continue on even when I was ready to give up :) Overall for a hospital birth it was very pleasant.

Reply
Reply
post #13 of 21
7/15/11 at 8:07am
Thread Starter 

I have an update :)  I called Women's Care, and their office told me that as a practice policy they do not VBA2C.  I probably should have spoken directly to one of the doctors (I intended to speak with Dr. Clariborne) but I gave up after speaking with the nurse.  I figured that even if he would support me, I would be at the mercy of whomever is on call when I deliver, and chances are they would not support it.  Not the birth experience I'm looking for.

 

Through an experienced L&D nurse (who in commenting on younger L&D nurses said, "all those young nurses are scared of VBACs!), I found an OB who delivers at Kent who glad to work with me and is very optimistic about my chances to VBA2C!  I can't even tell you the size of the cheezy grin on my face while we spoke over the phone!!!  I told her my story, making sure she knew that my last cesarean was in November 2010, which is only 14 months from my due date.  She said that amount of time shouldn't really pose more of a risk than the 18 month recommendation; that my uterus may be a bit thinner and we will do periodic (not constant) monitoring, but that the 18 month recommendation is just that and not a black & white rule.  Also, this doc delivers most of her own patients and will be the one to see me through the whole pregnancy.

 

I have an appointment on 7/29 with my current OB, at which time I expect they will tell me they are not comfortable with my VBA2C request.  After this appointment, I'll likely end up with this Dr. Woodruff in Warwick.

 

What has been most surprising about this whole search for me, is the conflicting information. Their personal preferences aside, doctors are truly not informed as to the policies of the hospitals in the state.  Doctors who deliver at W&I have told me VBA2C is not allowed (incorrect), others told me that W&I is the only hospital that will allow it (apparently also incorrect).  Who know's what I'll find as the next few weeks go on...  Thanks everyone for your input and suggestions.  I'm really starting to feel more optimistic about this!

Reply
Reply
post #14 of 21
7/15/11 at 8:45am

Gracie!  Thank you for keeping us updated!  I am frantically notes.gif sharing this information with ICAN, RI Birth Network (RIBN), and Doulas of Rhode Island.  It'll be great to get this information centralized.

 

I'll be watching this thread!  I wish you a lot of luck please keep in touch!

 

 

Reply
Reply
post #15 of 21
7/25/11 at 7:50am

I've had 2 friends get the same schpeel from OB's at Kent....only to be told at 36 w that they needed to schedule their cs for various bogus reasons.

Reply
Reply
post #16 of 21
7/25/11 at 5:45pm

Do you know which OB's?  Because I have heard that Woodruff is truly supportive of VBAC's.  I would be curious to know her actual success rate %, and how many she's done. 
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Barefootinthewoods View Post

I've had 2 friends get the same schpeel from OB's at Kent....only to be told at 36 w that they needed to schedule their cs for various bogus reasons.



 

Reply
Reply
post #17 of 21
7/25/11 at 5:45pm

ignore

Reply
Reply
post #18 of 21
7/25/11 at 6:43pm
Thread Starter 


Do you know if it was due to "hospital policy" or just the OB's preference?  If you know who those docs were I would love to know (to be sure I avoid them)- I will likely be seeing Dr. Woodruff.  

Quote:
Originally Posted by Barefootinthewoods View Post

I've had 2 friends get the same schpeel from OB's at Kent....only to be told at 36 w that they needed to schedule their cs for various bogus reasons.



 

Reply
Reply
post #19 of 21
7/26/11 at 5:34am

I do not. :-( I will try and get in touch w/them this week and find out for you

Reply
Reply
post #20 of 21
7/26/11 at 5:58pm

.


Edited by Sage Green - 11/26/11 at 1:52pm
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home