How does your home birth midwife schedule appointments? « Back to Group Discussions

[MacKinnon]

I am considering a home birth and contacted the only home birth midwife that is local to me. I was surprised to discover that she books half day appointments, morning or afternoon and does all her visits in one area on one day of the week. So, my day would be Tuesday. I work out of the home, usually on Mon/Tue/Thur, so this does not work very well for me.

I could easily meet her, at say, 4pm. But she doesn't work that way. I can't take a half day off every month! But she lives a mile from my house, literally a mile, so it seems silly that we can't find a way to make this work!

Several people, including a midwife friend, have told me that they didn't "click" with her. Not that there are professional concerns, but apparently she has a strong personality, that just doesn't mesh well with some.

ETA: She just called and told me that since I am a mile away, she can do an evening appointment, it would just be booked for "after 5:30". We have a consultation set up for 2/21.

[judybean]

Wow... a half-day!? That's a lot!  Mine doesn't do that. And there really aren't any local to me. The nearest midwife comes from a town 2.5-3 hours away ;)  Homebirth attended by a midwife just became legal last year and there aren't many licensed in my state yet. Mine does appointments a little more locally this time though! (with dd4 it was illegal in my state still, so I had to travel out of state for every appointment and even for the birth). This time she has an understudy in a town 90 miles away, so that's where appointments are.  She only does prenatals two days a week though. Thankfully, one of the days is a Tuesday and dh is off from work that day!

Glad you guys were able to work something out!

[cryswilkins]

Mine schedules a specific time. She only services within 30 miles. For example I will see her in two weeks at 11:30 for probably an hour.

ETA: I am remembering that is one of the reasons we never met with that midwife. She was hard to get ahold of and her scheduling didn't work for us.

[Faliciagayle]

My MW schedules 1 - 2 hour visits, depending on what stage of pregnancy.  Visits are at her office, which is about an hour from my house.  She does one home visit around 38 weeks, and obviously, attends the birth and postpartum care at home.  I really like her, but I hate driving to her for appointments (she also attended DSs birth).  It makes sense though, since she services NJ, NY, CT, and parts of PA.

[MacKinnon]

Originally Posted by cryswilkins 

Mine schedules a specific time. She only services within 30 miles. For example I will see her in two weeks at 11:30 for probably an hour.
ETA: I am remembering that is one of the reasons we never met with that midwife. She was hard to get ahold of and her scheduling didn't work for us.

Because I'm so close, she's willing to do after 5:30 appointments, otherwise it would never work. I would not have even met with her, in fact I emailed her back and and said, pretty much never mind, because I can't hold half a day for appointments. She called me and said since I was so close, she would do "after 5:30" not at 5:30, but sometime after. We'll see. I emailed two midwife friends who both said to at least call her, she's SO close, and she's really involved with the Michigan Midwives Association and their current licensing fight. I'm mostly concerned because with the planned move this summer, I'm worried our home situation will be too tumultuous to plan a home birth and have all prenatal at home. On the other hand, if she'll do them all in our home, in the evening. That means no time off work, child care, travel to appointments, that's HUGE!

[Yeeska]

My midwife has several locations that she does appointments in the area. Each office is on a different day. If the day of the week where she is closest to you does not work, it might mean driving an extra half hour for another day's appointment. She does visits in office(s) until 36 weeks and then does in home visits until the (obviously) in home birth. There are two postpartum visits at home. We meet with her for the first time a week from Friday.

[Ava's Mama]

Mine schedules hour long appointments on certain days.  It can be at her office or at our home.  If it is at our home then there is a little more "wiggle room" since she may be driving from somewhere further away, but she is pretty flexible.  Glad yours was able to negotiate and do an evening appointment.  I hope you mesh well!