does your mw do ultrasounds?

[starbound25]

so I am still deciding between a mw and the hospital (last two were hospital)
The cost would be about the same for both (out of pocket $$ that is)
but the midwife does not do a lot of the testing a dr does (ie: downs tst, strep b, gloucose etc)
those are all tests I would want, more out of pocket money
and she does not do ultrasound, I thought they had to do one
with my first baby they found a defect on her kidney that ended up having to be surgically removed after she was born, w/out the u/s we never would have known about it, so I really want an u/s
so does yours do it and if not what do you do? pay out of pocket somewhere else? :

[didkisa]

Congratulations, Starbound25!!! I didn't know you were pregnant!! :

(sorry, no answer to your question...just saw who posted it and had to send you my congrats!)

[peacechief]

Mine does, but she's a cnm, working at a hospital in a practice w/an OB.

[CarolynnMarilynn]

My midwife can order an ultrasound, but she doesn't perform them herself.

[heathenmom]

The lay midwife can't, but if we end up doing parallel care with the birthing center, the cnm's can. DH was all for at least one u/s (20 weeks) until that report that came out yesterday. We haven't really discussed it in detail yet, but we'll need to make a decision soon.

[koofie]

I had three wth my last midwife. The first was at 20 weeks, fordating bc I didn't know when my LMP was The second was at 36 weeks, because the student midwife thought the baby was transverse and wanted to check (later the mw said it was unnecessary). Finally, at 41.5 weeks, they did a u/s and found the fluid was low.

[phillychiquita]

Jumping in from Feb DDC to share my experience:

I have a CPM, and am planning a homebirth -- my CPM doesnt do any of those tests or US but I know she can help me get them if I choose or want. Her approach is that all tests and Ultrasounds are my choice, not some automatic thing she will order, so when the time for each one comes up, she'll discuss it with me, give me some of the pros/cons/evidence (if any) for why its good or inconclusive and let me make the choice. If I want them, I will have to go to a lab to have the tests done, and she said my insurance will usually cover those types of things.

My friend is under the care of a wonderful CNM (under an OB) and she has not had/needed any tests or Ultrasounds at all -- her midwife just doesnt do them unless there is a medical reason to suspect something is really wrong. If she had really wanted one though, I am positive she could have pushed and gotten one had she really been uncomfortable with the idea of never having one.

Its probably a good sign that your midwife doeasnt do them automatically, but if you share your past experience and the reason why you feel you really want to have one, I would think she should/might be able to help you arrange for it and your insurance should cover it.

[MonkeyPrincess]

phillychiquita, can I ask what midwife you are using? Assuming you are in philly , your CPM sounds alot like mine! I use Kate Fawley, Rising Moon Midwifery.

[aburroughs]

My midwife is also a CNM working in a military hospital. He (yes, he...he's the only male midwife in NC!) can both order ultrasounds and perform them. And since we're Tricare, we don't have to pay for any of it.