Midwife Reviews?

[free_range_momma]

I'm wondering if there is anyway to accurately research a potential midwife. I feel very comfortable with the midwife I've chosen, but I'm wondering how to find unbiased info on midwives. I can look up a dr's stats, and see if there are any complaints, but I can't find anything about midwives. Mymidwife will provide a list of references, and that's great, but what if you want to know more?

There is a midwife in my area that everyone complains about, but I can't get any real specifics. Everyone just heard through the grapevine something bad happened. I hear a lot of positive review about my midwife. I google her, ask around, but how would I know how many moms died (if any) or babies dies, or what her xfer rate is? Is all this truly a gambling game? You just take their word for it? Is there no accountability?

Again,I'm comfortable with my midwife, but trying to find out more about the one that lives much closer to me vs 2 hours away.

Thanks!

[JunipersMom]

If she is a CPM you can contact NARM and ask if there have been any complaints - or if your states has liscensing, contact the state midwifery board and see if they have any complaints. Other than that - word of mouth is all there is. You could always play dectective and keep asking those that speak of the midwife who they heard it from and keep searching it down until you actually meet a woman with first hand experience.
And - where do you find complaint and death information for a MD or OB?? I want to look up some!

[MsBlack]

yeah, what Juniper said--

you can ask any mw for 'professional references'--any other mws, or any docs, chiropractors, other practitioners who might speak for her in any way. With this, you have to be willing to sort the wheat from the chaff--some mws don't like ANY other mw, some mws are praiseful of all mws w/out any discrimination, for instance. And also you have to realize that personalities and personal attitudes (about homebirth, or practice protocols and 'risk') must be taken into account. Without a licensing agency or NARM, it's not easy--but I think it can be done. And I would do it, to see if the closer mw was available.

You have to remember that ANY mw could have a 'bad outcome' --a death or disability or just a csec with no health issues for mom or baby--arising from a birth, whether she is a great mw who did all possible, or a poor mw who 'caused/contributed to' a problem. If you ask the woman I transported for breech this year (the one who refused U/S to verify position...twice), she'll tell you most likely what she told me: that I made false claims about my abilities, and otherwise was a complete moron at her birth and ought to be stopped (she called the state on me, we're illegal here). If you talk to the hbac mama I spared from a needless hospital visit for her newborn that was having minor retractions, by doing resp therapy at home and staying an extra 20hrs pp to keep an eye on him, she'll say I'm the best!

So, this means it would be smart to track down any negative commentary about a midwife, if at all possible. For that matter, it's good to try to track down positive commentary--if the praisers have never known any other mw, they might not know if/when their mw did inadvisable things. They might think that every mw plies their clients w/herbs for nonexistant issues (that the mw simply doesn't know how to read), or does AROM all the time, or whatever.

Sad to say that this is true, this fuzziness and general lack of clear accountability--but it is true in some places. Part of this is due to the lack of licensing or voluntary accountability agencies, part of it is due to the fact that homebirth mws are 'new', and a lot of families have no idea what are 'safe practice standards'. And I would rather do some serious checking, than take anything at face value. I think it's worth the time.

[mwherbs]

how do you know if any provider is good? you can ask questions, see if they have atleast at one point had a certain standard of knowledge and re-license , but there are huge limitations to finding a provider you really want

-- I have to say that with my first pregnancy- I went with my sister-in-law's and my mom's across-the-street-neighbor's recommendation- and by local standards at the time- that doc was seen by many women as a good care provider- I hated him and thought he was a horrible provider- he told my dh that he would not recommend husbands being at births that it would casue impotence and that he had 4 children that he would never be present for their births-and his wife had all c-sections--- now I should have found another doc but that was not my head set at the time- and hey this guy had all the certifications- up to date, and to add that the day before my daughter was born he said to me after measuring and doing leopolds, your baby weighs 5 lbs and will be born in about a month- she was 10 lbs 5 oz born the next day, not only did I not like him I think he was not competent--
In any case I don't think that there are easy ways to find a good or desired provider- and no assurances. First thing I follow is my gut- do I have to work to get along with this person, do they allow me to talk,and do they listen to what I say,how do they treat the people who work with them, basically how do I feel around them? then my technical questions would run along the lines of wanting to hear some birth stories- birth stories are very telling and I want to hear not only the quick births but some of the more complex or transport stories as well--
If you are uncomfortable with the midwife you have interview the other ones around your area- you don't have to change you can explore before you leave one midwife for another. Talking to other moms about their experiences if there are enough of them can tell you something -