anyone switched from hospital to mw during pregnancy??

[starbound25]

I am 32 1/2 weeks along and have been seeing my obgyn for prenatal care and the more I think about it the more I want this baby in a birthing center or at home

has anyone ever switched from a dr office/hospital to a midwife service midpregnancy????

[luckymamato2]

I did. I went to an OB until around 21-22 weeks. I moved to a different state around 23 weeks. I started seeing a m/w (birth center) in the new state as soon as I could - I had researched it beforehand. They were fine with me switching and I had a great birth.

I would hurry up if I were you! 32.5 weeks isn't the latest I've heard - actually at my first visit to the birth center, there was a woman who was possibly IN LABOR at the seminar/first meeting. I'm not sure if she had had a personal visit prior to that, but she was probably 38-40 weeks!

[Electra375]

I was terminated from my OBs office at 28wks pregnant in 04. I had dd at home with a mw 10 weeks later. And I was scheduled for a 3rd c/s!

I did not hook up with my mw until 32 weeks, we had 6 weeks together before the birth and it was not a problem. We clicked. I met her assistant 1X before the birth and no one had met my labor assistant until that day.

[cottonwood]

About halfway through I notified my doctor's practice that I was switching to a new provider. I didn't find a midwife though until quite a bit later... I think I might have been around 30 weeks.

[ericswifey27]

Yes! My twin sis was about 34-36 weeks??? along before she decided on a homebirth, as her provider was showing his true colors by then : ...her babe was born successfully at home a few months ago! You should see the look on her face after her second babe compared with the look of defeat after her first birth. It's like night and day... If you are considering it all, definitely call some midwifes and set up some interviews. I don't think you'll regret it!

[DoomaYula]

I have had two clients who haved switched from a CNM to a homebirth midwife around the 30w mark.

Also, I have a client right now, a primip, who's seeing a doc in town with a very high c-s rate. She wants a med-free hospital birth, and has since switched to a CNM.

[wwisdomskr]

I did! Sometime btwn 26 & 30 weeks. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made! If we don't have a medical need for the hospital...it's just incomparable to homebirth. Get thee to a homebirth midwife! Good luck.

[wombat]

I remember finding out at about 30 something weeks that it was possible to change to a birthing center. I didn't do it because it was my first pregnancy, I was new to the country, didn't understand the system blah blah blah... But I sure wish I had. It's not too late.

For my second, no birth center would even take me (due to c/s). So while you have a choice, go for it! The administrative headaches of changing providers now is nothing compared to having a lack of choices after a c/s.

[Mavournin]

I did with my first. I started seeing a midwife at a typical OB practice and then found out that she 1. was the ONLY midwife for the ENTIRE hospital and 2. was getting married on my due date and would likely not be around for my birth. I stupidly stayed with the group for a few more months and started meeting the physicians. I was really uncomfortable with the whole situation, but I never looked around.
Then we moved to another state (back to where we were from) and I switched to the freestanding birth center. Which, I think was my big reason for wanting to move, so I could give birth there and know that I was getting what I wanted. I was about 20-25 wks when I transfered.

[VaDoula]

I switched at 36-37 weeks to a midwife at a birthing center. My ob/gyn scared me away with telling me that he would be obligated to "do something" if the monitoring strip did not give a "good reading." I asked about using a doppler to monitor fetal heartrate and he said, "No." He acted like it was not even an option. He said he had to rely on the strip even thought it was unreliable. I knew right then and there that I needed to get as far away from that hospital as possible. Best decision I ever made. I was having a lot of anxiety about a hospital birth and was having nightmares, trouble sleeping. I called the midwife and she took me on right away. I only had one or two appointments with the midwives at the birth center because DS came two weeks early. I'm glad I did not put off calling a midwife any longer.

[Crunchie]

YES! I did. Relatively (to the other posters) early in my pregnancy. I guess I was about 17-18 weeks?? I'm 23 weeks now. If I had stayed with the OB practice I'd started with, I would yet to have seen the actual doctor delivering me!! The nurse practitioner I had seen at the office was fine, but I had some real specific concerns about the actual birth that she couldn't answer. I finally decided (after seeing other people go through labor/birth with the same OB who were told at first that they could have the natural birth they wanted, but then they were just scared into intervention after intervention for no good reason) that the hospital was just no place for me. I switched to a birthing center 1 1/2 hours away (the closest!) and am very happy so far! I didn't realize completely what the stress of the thought of a hospital birth was doing to me until after I decided not go to the hospital. Now I know that, if I do end up in the hospital, it will be only for necessary medical reasons and, well, that's what hospitals are for. Not normal births.

If you want to, and you find midwife, birthing center, whatever that clicks with you--do it!!

[puffingirl]

Me too! I switched to a birthing center at 21 weeks and was immediately flooded with relief because I finally felt safe and comfortable with my care. Do what feels right for you--it's definitely not too late to examine your options.

[engineer_mom]

go with where you feel comfortable!

[NatureMama3]

I did halfway through with my youngest. My midwives weren't phased at all. They said they'd had women switch as late as 36 weeks (and that was an OB's wife!).

[mothragirl]

i did at 20 weeks, best decision ever

[storychick]

I switched at 30 weeks with my first pregnancy and am so glad I did. That birth would have gone very differently if we'd been at the hospital instead of the birth center. Switch if you want to!

[popbaby]

I switched from a major Boston hopital and regular OB to a hospital based midwife at a local hospital at 33 weeks. It was a completey all natural delivery, no interventions whatsoever, and it was the best decision I've ever made.

[marnie]

i switched from a midwife (whom i adore) in a hospital to a birthing center at 32 weeks. i made this decision with the full support of my (original) midwife who understood and supported my desire to not deliver in a hospital. it was a pretty seamless change. the birthing center is used to it.

[Peppamint]

I switched halfway through my 2nd pg. I went in at 19w, got the u/s but never saw an OB (they didn't bother to tell me he was running hours late). I left and never went back- that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I called to my friend's DEM at 20 weeks and hired her when she came over to meet my dh. And we've since had another homebirth.

One of the best decisions I ever made. Seriously.

[mamadelbosque]

I did. I switched from a crappy 8-member ob/gyn practice (where I'd not seen the same doctor twice in 6 months!) to a midwife/single doctor practice, and have been SO happy ever since. I totally recommend a MW - mine is soo nice. And the doctor that I see occasionaly along with her has been super great. Granted hes an old family friend that I turned to when I was told that I *had* to go back on my medicine (phenobarbitol 120mg) a couple months ago (we now have a prescription for it again, but its yet to be filled.. DH really wants me to start taking it but, I really don't want to), but yeah. Totally switch if you want to and are unhappy with your ob/gyn.. you'll be much, much happier!!

Oh, almost forgot, I switched after not seeing anyone (cause' I hated said previous ob/gyns) for like 2 months