Feedback on Paula Greer, CNM?

[reborn]

My midwife is not currently practicing and I need to find someone for well-woman care.  I just found out there's a CNM at the BWMC not 5 minutes from my house, Paula Greer, and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with her.  I'd love any feedback you could give me!

I could go back to Bay Area but I'm not an enormous fan of that group and I'd prefer to go somewhere closer to my home if possible.

Thanks!

[clover3201]

I know this is a little late but Paula is AMAZING! She was my midwife throughout my pregnancy (ultimately i had to have a c-section) but she delivered my niece and was just great! I can't say enough great things about her.

[Bmorefarmgirl]

Hijacking this thread a bit...I had never heard of bwmc until they recently started running commercials on tv. Does anyone else have experience birthing there? Their website lists a ton if info I've never seen on a typical hospital site. The info on preeclampsia and vbac I notc because those are the two that apply to me. I can't find any c-section or vbac stats for em on the unnecessarian or ican. Did they change their name or something? Their website says they've been around since 1970s.

Some forums I stumbled on said the place was awful, but perhaps they're reinventing themselves with the new commercials and all.

Anyone know the scoop?

[boobfairy]

BWMC was north arundel hospital until maybe 5 years ago then the name change with joining with U of Md. They stopped delivering in the 1970s and just opened their L+D unit 2.5 Years ago.

[Bmorefarmgirl]

Thanks so much for the info!

[VBACmama4]

I'm a little later in posting than would probably be helpful for the original poster, however, I met with Paula Greer today at BWMC for a conversation about possibly using the tubs at BWMC for delivering my 4th child. I'm a VBAC, and am currently post term according to my original ultrasound, however I've been post term with all of my children and never had a complication. I had a non-stress test and a biophysical profile, neither of which found any signs of distress or complications forming, and when I was speaking to Paula she told me that as a post term VBAC I would most likely not be allowed to use the tub and would definitely not be allowed to deliver in the tub, even if during my labor no complications present themselves. I asked her why. She asked me if I knew why, as though quizzing me in a condescending manner and expecting me to simply say "duh, no, I have no idea", so I explained that the complications I knew of where larger baby or issues with the placenta or cord. She said there was one that I missed (that I've read repeatedly is a completely invalid concern and a total scare tactic) which is the gasp reflex. The gasp reflex during water birth is not only attributed to signs of distress in the baby long before the baby is delivered but it's also a reflex that contradicts the effects of prostoglandin, fluids contained in a fetus's lungs, and the dive reflex which causes the baby to swallow or not breathe at all rather than gasp. That statement was my first red flag. 

The second red flag was that she continually mentioned that I should have contacted the hospital and her office months ago to discuss this situation, which I actually did about 5 months ago, however at that time her office was not affiliated with BWMC and the hospital told me specifically that I would not be able to use a tub. 

The third and largest red flag was when she stated that she, as a midwife, was one of only two from the same office affiliated with BWMC and that she wanted to make sure that as the only ones and as a new addition to the hospital, she didn't make any decisions that could cause the hospital to question her abilities or prohibit her from future affiliation. This told me immediately that she is more interested in maintaining affiliation and remaining in good standing at the risk of forcing mothers into situations and procedures that are unnecessary or not beneficial. Of course, this seems to be a cornerstone of the medical profession, but to hear this from a midwife was more than I was prepared to listen to. Needless to say, I was very unimpressed with her, and ultimately during our conversation she took a phone call and left me with the second midwife who indicated that she was fairly new. If you're going to her for women's care I'd assume she'd treat you better, but as an expectant mother who has already has 2 successful VBAC's, one a water birth, I'd avoid her at all costs. 

[Jenga]

I had a homebirth midwife tell me that she couldn't take me on as a VBAC because she didn't want to jeopardize her relationship with local hospitals. She's a great midwife and I understood, even though I didn't like it, her side.

That being said, it was tough to hear. I will not lie and say that my heart felt like it was breaking into pieces.

Are you sure it's ok to post negative things about a midwife on here? I know it's all fact but I've had posts deleted for less. Hope it's "ok" here - wish we didn't have to "censor" here. :(

[VBACmama4]

While I completely understand her position being a new midwife and not wanting to jeopardize that, I can't respect a person who chooses to practice in a place that offers birth options but declines to provide them personally because she's afraid she'll ruin her reputation. That makes no sense to me - if she's afraid of "allowing" women to have a water birth, then why not switch to a place that doesn't offer them rather than turning good candidates away? That is wrong to me. 

I'm posting my experience with her because someone asked about other people's experiences and this was mine. I don't want to defame or damage her, I simply want to make people who are considering using her services aware that she gave me misinformation and refused services that the hospital she practices through is supposed to provide. If I were citing malpractice of some sort, I could see that being an issue, but this is only a review. There may be people out there who LOVE her and swear by her, especially those in different situations than mine, and if they want to post their experiences I wouldn't argue because everyone has their own side. I was just incredibly offended by her manor and the non-factual information she gave me, and I felt that should be shared. 

I hope you were able to find the birth experience you wanted :)

[Jenga]

I'm not saying you should not share your opinion, not at all, only suggesting that posts which share a negative review of a provider tend to get moderated as against TOU ... or something ... of the site.

I think the powers that be like those to go on the reviews page and not in the forums. But they haven't said anything, so I guess it is ok.

[fanatical]

She works out of the practice I go to and I will be meeting her today.  I was actually on a search for birthing reviews from BWMC.  Anyone have any?  I am 32 weeks today and am a FTM.  So far I am not too nervous.  I love my doctor and the only negativity I have experienced is the sonographer at the hospital.  I went there for my nT scan and Anomaly scan.  Doctor was fine for the NT scan but had a terrible bedside manner when I returned for both of my anomaly scans....

[VBACmama4]

I delivered at BWMC on May 7th, we waited as long as possible to go in and I got there at 9cms dilated. I'm a VBAC, which always sets off alarms for hospital staff. I had to use the doctor on call since the midwives I had seen for prenatal care terminated me due to going post-term, and he seemed decent at first til he learned that I was "non-compliant". Then his attitude came out and a few times he snidely asked me "how I wanted to do things". When I got to the hospital my husband and I immediately refused several routine procedures (wore my own nightgown, no IV, no pitocin, etc). The staff only argued for a short time, and ultimately we had a fairly low-intervention birth because we stuck to our birth plan. During labor the nurses kept telling me to sit up (on my tailbone) so they could "see what they were doing", although I'm not sure what they thought they'd be "doing" down there. I could tell that sitting that way was keeping my baby high in the birth canal, so I finally had my husband assist me in getting into a better birthing position and my baby crowned in a matter of seconds. I think the doctor was in my room a total of 15 minutes during labor and birth. I was very angry postpartum, however, to learn that I had received a shot of pitocin to deliver the placenta, which I specifically refused but was given anyway. They told me it was Rhogam. Definitely ask questions and don't let them push you around! 

After they weighed our baby and did their newborn screenings, the pediatrician came to take our baby to the nursery for his physical, and my husband told her he'd be accompanying him there. She actually said it wasn't necessary, but we insisted, and when he reached for the hospital bassinet to push the baby down the hall she told him she could do it. He told her no, thanks! We also decided to check out a day early because we were all healthy and I see no reason for a healthy mother and newborn to spend even one extra hour in a hospital, and that pediatrician on duty actually told me I'm a new mom, I don't need to go home and play doctor, nurse, etc. She was exceptionally condescending and had a serious God-complex going on. I am not a new mom, I have 4 children, and she assumed I was too dumb to have any reason to leave.

I'll warn you about that - several members of the hospital staff were awesome, Robin was our postpartum nurse and helped us a great deal, but they also told us that 90% of the women who come there to give birth are not educated and have no clue about what they do or don't need. I found that many of the nurses and doctors definitely treated us that way, so if you don't want to be treated that way you may have to establish that early on, otherwise they do everything based on routine and not individual evidence-based care. The midwife who came in to check on me was an assistant to Paula Greer and seemed nice, but was very pushy. She basically told me that if I was checking out early I would be risking the health of my baby even though there were no signs that anything whatsoever was wrong, and told me that I needed postpartum care, as though she felt I planned on skipping it. I was wholly unimpressed with both her and Paula Greer, but if you've established a relationship with them that you're comfortable with, maybe you'll have a better experience with them. Best of luck! 

[oldcrone]

I have some disturbing history with Paula and can not in good faith recommend her.

[onejkm]

Im a FTM and had a wonderful experience at BWMC I switched to the bwmc midwives' practice at 35 weeks because I was unhappy with my previous caregivers and all three of them were more than happy to help me have the low tech birth I wanted. Kathleen o'Brian ended up being the one at the hospital when I went in to labor and she along with the nurses were fantastic and followed my birth plan of laboring in the tub without any intervention. A few things postpartum weren't great, first, the LC only works weekdays. DS was born Friday afternoon so I only met her once. another problem i had with the hospital is the food, it was beyond horrible, so I'd suggest bringing something I'm happy to talk about my experience if you want to pm me