Midwife or OB - help please !

[ChickpeaChouhan]

Hi, This is my first post and my first pregnancy - so I hope I've got all my little online duckies in a row here:

I have been looking for a midwife in the Boston area and have been having a hard time finding one who will take me due to my "risk factors": I have had asthma since birth (well-controlled), hypothyroidism (well-controlled), and high-blood pressure (well-controlled). It seems that I "risk out" for midwife care. I really don't want to go to an OB and have my pregnancy and birth overly medicalized. Despite these three risk factors, I am very healthy, eat well, exercise regularly, etc. I went to my first prenatal visit with a midwifery group (who since then told me I "risked out" of their treatment and they wouldn't be able to see me again), and when I had all my blood tests, EVERYTHING came back great. No issues.

So, if I can't get a midwife, does anyone know of a midwife/OB team set-up, or an OB with particularly less-medicalized viewpoints? Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks

[Ilek]

Mmm... Did you go and ask your question to your tribe ? I think/hope they will be able to help you.
Welcome here, though, I hope everything goes alright

[ChickpeaChouhan]

Nope - I'll do some looking around and repost. Thanks!

[wobblykate]

Originally Posted by ChickpeaChouhan

Hi, This is my first post and my first pregnancy - so I hope I've got all my little online duckies in a row here:

I have been looking for a midwife in the Boston area and have been having a hard time finding one who will take me due to my "risk factors": I have had asthma since birth (well-controlled), hypothyroidism (well-controlled), and high-blood pressure (well-controlled). It seems that I "risk out" for midwife care. I really don't want to go to an OB and have my pregnancy and birth overly medicalized. Despite these three risk factors, I am very healthy, eat well, exercise regularly, etc. I went to my first prenatal visit with a midwifery group (who since then told me I "risked out" of their treatment and they wouldn't be able to see me again), and when I had all my blood tests, EVERYTHING came back great. No issues.

So, if I can't get a midwife, does anyone know of a midwife/OB team set-up, or an OB with particularly less-medicalized viewpoints? Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks

Good Luck! Look for midwives with admitting privileges at a hospital you like. Call the hospital and ask if they have any midwives that practice there. Here our midwives will risk you out of birthing at the birth center, but they'll still attend your delivery and work with an OB when necessary.

[bodhitree]

I ended up with a CNM rather than a direct entry midwife (because of insurance reasons, not for any reasons of risk). So I'll give birth at a hospital, and I already know the MD who's my midwife's backup because they're in the same practice, but I still get to work with a mw who recommends that we read Ina May Gaskin books and is totally on board with natural, non-medicated childbirth. Maybe you could find a similar situation where you are?

[mischievium]

Did you ask the midwife group that said you risked out of their care if the standards they were using were based on their choices about their individual practice or state law? This might give you an idea of if you're wasting your time trying to find other midwifery practices or not. Also, maybe that midwife group could suggest some natural birthing friendly OBs or CNMs (assuming that the midwives you already saw weren't CNMs, but LMs) or point you to specific hospitals that are known for being less interventionalist?

[applejuice]

Ask this guy in Watertown, MA Dr. Richard Moskowitz, who is a good pediatrician also.

[Max'sMama]

Don't forget to check out family practice docs. Often they are not OB/Gyn mentality and so are more hands off and less interventiony than OBs.

But they can still attend births.

[handsandfeet]

I had a similar issue and found a local "natural" moms online message board, and was able to get a recommendation for a fantastic OB known for being a NCB advocate. He is completely supportive of my choices and encouraged me to find a doula for labor support. Perhaps the Boston area has a message board like that, or try your tribe on here, as a pp suggested. I actually found about 6 OBs in my area that are very non-interventional NCB advocates, so I'll bet there are several in Boston, too.

[BabyBump]

Goodluck. I personally have stuck with the OB that delivered my first before I turned to a more 'crunchy' way of life. I'm comfortable with him, he's funny, and he's not pushy.

[ChickpeaChouhan]

Thanks everyone. I will check on the OBs in midwifery practices. I'm hoping that their choice is indicative of their belief systems. I believe I risked out due to the choice to the midwifery center, not insurance, but I'm not sure. I will check that out - thank you all for your help!