prenatal tests w/HB midwives....

[mnkygrl79]

...what have your MW said that you MUST have done?


I've refused most of my tests, they let me do a 2 hr postprandial (that I just checked myself) but are insistant on a urine culture. (I transferred care at 25 weeks, and it appears I didn't have one done in the regular OB office at the beginning of my pregnancy)

just wondering if this is standard/normal. What are your thoughts?

[AugustLia23]

My midwife from my last pregnancy didn't say I MUST do any test. She offered/recommended the normal ones, but it was up to me what to take or decline. Besides the 20 week u/s and the routine urine dipsticks, I declined everything else(AFP, glucose test, group b strep). I also declined the newborn eye prophylaxis, hep. b, and vitamin K, but did the newborn screen.

[the_lissa]

There is nothing they insist I must do. They offer every test, but don't demand anything.

[pampered_mom]

Originally Posted by the_lissa

There is nothing they insist I must do. They offer every test, but don't demand anything.

: There have been things she has recommended, but ultimately it's my decision as to whether or not I have them done.

[Nan'sMom]

Both times there were no "musts"...it was one of the things I screened for in a midwife at the beginning. I declined GD, U/S, etc. both times but did get bloodwork done in case of a hospital transfer (to have negative HIV, etc. tests on-hand just in case). Some people recommend getting GBS testing done for the same reasons but I did not do it.

Remember that it's YOUR body and your baby.

[alegna]

My midwife is fine with me declining EVERYTHING. One of the reasons I love her

-Angela

[tamagotchi]

Same here, my midwife asks me if I'd like to do each test, but it's totally up to me. For tests that are considered part of the "standard of care," she does have me sign a form saying that I declined the test.

[fihz]

My Midwife told my I could refuse any and all testing. She does ask me though, when I come it to weigh myself on their scale and to do the little protein check when I go pee. She just wants to know if it's ok... But I'm pretty sure she wouldn't say anything if I didn't do it at all...

I DID do the bloodwork and asked for specific things checks because I've been wanting that done for a while, but declined GTT, and we'll be talking soon about the birth interventions soon...

[Peony]

Nothing. My MW doesn't do any testing including glucose strips and stepping on the scale unless you request it. :

[mnkygrl79]

I think the midwife team that I chose are pretty conservative (one just recently left working at a hospital to be a HB MW).

I just went ahead and did the stupid urine test (which is hopefully GBS free!)


I totally trust their judgement though when it comes down to the actual labor, so I guess that's what's really important.

[impromptukiss]

Originally Posted by the_lissa

There is nothing they insist I must do. They offer every test, but don't demand anything.

the only thing mine really requested is the urine dips every appt., iron once, and gd test (which is just a finger prick after a regular lunch). other than that, she told us about the other "regular" testing that people in the ob world do & said it was up to us to find someone to do it if we wanted it done, lol.

[mom3b1?]

The one I was talking too said that she would want to check the babies heartrate periodically during labor. If I get pregnant again I'll talk to her about how often and so on, before I decide to hire or not hire her. She was OK with me refusing all prenatal testing, but would facilitate if I wanted any particular tests. I think she has a few she prefers her patients to have, but those are recommendations not demands.

Kiley

[GinaRae]

I haven't HAD to do anything. Nothing they insist. They requested an OB panel to kick us off and again later a liver panel out of necessity to see if something is wonky there (it is). I asked them to check my iron a couple of times and we agreed to check my sugar every time. But nothing I have to do so far. They just ask if I want something and will describe what it is if I don't know.

[lovemy4boys]

My midwife doesn't insist on anything, either. She does do a nutritional analysis for mothers in the beginning, though. I am glad she offers to have me pee in the cup, though. She found I had pre-eclampsia, and she was able to give me recommendations that not only eliminated the protein in my urine, but also brought my blood pressure down just before the baby was born.

[pamamidwife]

I don't require much of anything - though I do like to get an initial hemogram with platelets and one around 30 weeks. don't do urine dips, don't weigh, no glucose monitoring. everything that a woman wants is totally optional.

[lyttlewon]

I haven't had any tests that were a must. There are a couple she does automatically as part of the visit, palpating the abdomen or blood pressure, but I would imagine she would be fine if I refused them.

[cal195]

Originally Posted by Peony

Nothing. My MW doesn't do any testing including glucose strips and stepping on the scale unless you request it. :

Same here. Isn't that part of the joy of having MWs instead of OBs?

I do think you should think about what tests to accept/decline based on your own individual history, though. I have very high iron levels, and did even all through my pregnancy with #1. If I didn't have high iron levels, I might have my levels checked in this pregnancy. Similarly, I have no risk factors for diabetes (no PCOS, no family members with any type of diabetes, I eat few refined sugars, etc.) so I'm not going to do the GTT. I am low risk and have no indications of anything wrong or out of the ordinary, so I see no need for an u/s unless something changes. I won't step on a scale, because I don't want to. (I was eating disordered for 10+ years, and I see no need to stress myself out like that as long as I look and feel healthy, and eat a healthy diet.)

I will pee on the sticks to test for sugars/protein, because that's easy, cheap, and most of all, noninvasive. There's no downside there. My MW will also palpate my uterus externally, measure fundal height, and take my blood pressure. Again, easy, quick, cheap, and noninvasive. But for other tests, you have to weigh the potential benefits against the inconvenience, as well as potential risks (if you get a false negative or positive, etc.). Also consider, what would you do with information from a test result if you had it? If you wouldn't do anything differently, is it worth taking the test in the first place?

Catherine

[ani'smommy]

At one of our first appointments, my midwife gave me a list of tests that I could accept or decline. I have a history of pre-e, so we do the urine dips and bp, but that's it. I declined everything else. Oh, except the newborn screen, we'll be doing that, too.