Back-up OB

[Drewsmom]

We live in a state where homebirth is A-legal so this should be interesting. But I'm curious when I go to talk with an OB/midwife combo who is natural childbirth friendly I'm wondering what the typical protocol is for using an OB as a backup?

I don't want to have to go through all the rigamaroll of monthly apt.s with someone besides my midwife but is this the usual standard? What was your experience if you had a backup?

[Pandora114]

I'm gonna assume since it's A-legal you should adopt a dont ask dont tell policy with the OB.

He doesn't ask if you're homebirthing, you dont tell. You be a good little patient and nod your head and go Yessir No Sir, Yessir...and let all his crap go in one ear and out the other, and know in your heart of hearts you're doing the right thing and go "OMG I'm glad I"m not having this quack catch my baby"

[pixiexto]

I didn't have a back-up, so no first hand experience to share, bu I knew someone who had a back-up OB when planning a home birth in a allegal home birth state, and she did go to monthly appts. She was up front with him about her intentions, and he was relatively supportive.

[rmzbm]

I agree with Pandora.
I am struggeling with this myself...I want very much to go unassisted...but may have an OB back me up so I can get an US, which I don't want either... *sigh*

[Drewsmom]

I actually had very good experiences with my OB and my CNM for hospital births with my first two so there are definitely some good providers and the one I am going to interview I believe is very NCB friendly. However no matter how NCB friendly they are they are still bound by hospital protocol and you never know who you are going to get when you go to the hospital nurse wise (again got *very* lucky with my first two). I just feel like I'd be pressing my luck to have another great hospital birth and there are other reasons why I want a homebirth.

I feel like it's best to be upfront and I guess I'm just cheap but I really don't want to go to regular OB apt.s on top of my midwife apts (I'm going to be driving at least an hour to get to her, each way).

Oh well, I guess I'll just be upfront and if they don't want to do it then c'est la vie.

[Patchfire]

Ask your midwife. Mine had an informal relationship with an OB who does lab work for her, offeres ultrasounds, and serves as a back up in general. He has to give a little speech about how he doesn't support homebirth, blah blah blah because of his insurance or something (I can't remember now what he said). Not all midwives will have that arrangement but it's worth asking.

[erinkrum]

Your midwife should be able to tell you. My MW had some recommendations on who was a little more NCB-friendly (fairly hard to find around here), but made it pretty clear that with almost all, you can't mention that you want to HB. In the end, no one she recommended worked out for us, and we found a "backup" OB on our own, but haven't mentioned that we see a MW, or are going to hb. The way the insurance is, if they see you knowing that you want to hb, they can be held liable if something was to go wrong, and they will dismiss you from care--where I am, anyway. I personally don't have a problem with not telling. Nobody at the OBs office ever asked me where I planned to give birth, they just assume....and you know what they say about assumptions.