Looking for homebirth midwife and birth doula in CT

[KareninCT]

Anyone know of any homebirth midwives or birth doulas in SW Connecticut? I've tried searching the internet but I'm not having much luck.

Thanks!

[FLDoula]

Have you checked out Dona.org. They have a list on line of certified and non-certified doulas (non-certified are working on their certification). They have them listed by region, plus if you can't find one in your area, you can email them.

[KareninCT]

Thanks FLDoula. I had checked with Dona and there are some doulas in the state, but none to near me. Unfortunatly I live in a sort of alternative-free zone. Do you know if Alace had a website? I can't find one. Or are there any other doula organizations?


I think I'm going to try posting to a different board.

Thanks again.

[Britt]

I'm looking for a midwife in CT as well (we're moving back in May). Here's a web site I just found that listed a number of homebirth midwives:

http://www.ufmidwiferycare.freeservers.com/find.htm

Do share if you find any other resources! (Though I'll be in central CT.)

Good luck!

Brittany

[BowenTherapist]

my hb midwife was awesome!!!!, but i don't know if you're too far away for her. i used Elayne Czaja and she is near torrington.
i have found a great group of ap mamas in ct. it is called nurture by nature network here's a link if your interested http://www.nurturebynature.org/index800.html . a lot of them have had hb's and they may be able to advise. i'll post it on the message board and see if anyone has exp with any. is new haven too far from you ?
this is c & p from someone's post
"Saraswathi Vedam, CNM

Birth & Beyond

411 Durham Road
Madison, CT 06443
203-318-8884

Homebirth & Yale-New Haven

Initial Consultation is free (schedule at least 1.5 hours)

Will be at the LLL conference in April if you want to meet her--she is very sociable"

[LambQueen]

I am so glad to have found this thread! I am moving to New Haven in June, and currently live in NYC where I go to a birth center. I am expecting in August and was thinking for sure I could have the birth experience that I desire if I move there. Having done some research I was getting disappointed.

There is a birth center in Danbury, the only free-standing one in CT. However that would be a 1 hour drive for me. The appointments leading up to the birth would be a drag to get to.

There's a hospital-based birth center in Waterbury. Also, a bit far from New Haven.

Then I did some news research about New Haven...I thought, why don't they have a birth center?? It seems like of all places in CT, it should be there (I'm thinking...Yale community is liberal, there is a midwifery training program, etc.) Well, I read an article a while back and the chief of OB/GYN at Yale made a comment against water birth. Ah ha, there's the answer.

There was a birth center in New Haven in the mid-80's but, mysteriously they lost their insurance coverage. I wonder if there was a larger story behind that.

However, I learned that this chief is no longer the chief, there is a new leadership with more of an open-mind to non-traditional ob/gyn birthing techniques. So maybe the birth center that once existing in New Haven will come back?? Who knows. That's a long way off.

So I think home birth is the way to go in SW CT if you want your birth experience to be mother and baby-centered rather than controlled by a doctor.

I was also VERY disappointed when I called the OB/GYN practices in New Haven on 2 separate occassions which have CNMs on their staff. I found them through the website www.connecticutmidwife.org They would not allow a CNM to speak with me on the phone. They said I have to come in for an appointment in order to get more information. The medical secretary was *very* unsympathetic to me, and I was shocked because they have CNMs on staff!

Through a variety of calls to others and networking, I also found Saras Vedam's (Birth and Beyond) name. Now, I haven't even met her yet, but I spoke with her on the phone. She took time out of her schedule to be on the phone for 15 minutes, during the week, and at night! What doctor would do that if you're not they're patient (and not for 15 minutes!) She sounded so nice and, more importantly, highly knowledgable and experienced as a CNM.

She is a CNM who does home and hospital births, and was recently recruited by Yale's Nursing school to teach specifically (I am almost certain) about home births. Birth and Beyond is not found on the web, and she mentioned that a lot of people have mentioned to her that she should get on the web. This midwife practice sounds like it is filling a very large void in southern Connecticut, and I am just glad that I found out about it!

Hope this info helps, and that you don't feel as desparate and sad like I did about a month ago.