[ChasingGrace]

Hi all - I am hoping to chat with some moms who have given birth at Gifford's Birth Center in Randolph, VT within the last year or year and a half, either with the OBs or with the Midwives. Specifically, I am interested in cases of women who have given birth there since the 'big change', ie: departuure of Martha Redpath and other longer term staffers who left about two years ago.<br><br>
I would like to hear about any and all kinds of experiences. If anyone is willing to share publicly, please post here. If someone were willing to share but wishes to do so privately, please message me through this site or I will post my email address.<br><br>
Many thanks!

 

[yummama]

I had my daughter there in October! It was AMAZING. I worked with the midwives, who put up with all of my neuroses throughout pregnancy! The birth itself was incredible and empowering. I labored in the tub for over 8 hours. Every nurse that came on shift was nicer than the last. The support afterwards was amazing--help with breastfeeding, etc. Feel free to PM me if you have more specific questions.<br>
As my daughter is my first child, I didn't know the other midwives who worked there.

 

[ChasingGrace]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am glad to hear it was so positive for you. Do you mind my asking which of the midwives you had when you delivered?

 

[yummama]

Amanda and Amie. Also, Natalie, who is an intern (not sure if that is the right term). They were all spectacular. I must note again that the support nursing staff was incredible. The same nurse stayed right with us from beginning to end. She was wonderful--coached my husband on how he could help me. I had back labor and she showed him where/how to press. If you don't mind my asking, are you trying to choose between different hospitals? I also went to Dartmouth for the first part of my pregnancy because I am super indecisive. I decided not to go there when I asked one of the midwives (I was 16 wks preg at the time) if I could see a birthing suite and she told me that I could go look at it when it was "more relevant". WTF does that mean? My friend had her baby with the midwives at Alice Peck (the third hospital in the area--I think one of the old Gifford midwives might work there?) and had a wonderful experience.

 

[MyBeautifulBabies]

I had my son at Gifford in July of 06 right in the middle of the "big change". I was a bit nervous about it because I didn't know who was going to be there and who wasn't and for a while it seemed like there were different people on a daily basis But EVERYONE was very professional and wonderful help. The birth was just what I wanted and I got tons of support (because of everything going on I ended up with two midwives all to myself <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin">). I had my daughter at Gifford in 05 and my son's birth was every bit as special and I felt just as taken care of.

 

[MyBeautifulBabies]

Oh and I totally agree that the nursing staff at Gifford is amazing! I loved every one of my nurses and couldn't have made it through two natural births without their support.

 

[ChasingGrace]

I actually already had my baby at Gifford. I am so glad to hear that you two ladies above have had such good experiences and wish I could say mine was the same, or even close. My purpose in posting this question is to hear a variety of experiences from this particular birthing venue.<br><br>
The good tales are a help to hear in that I can feel like what happened to me there is really uncommon and not likely to happen to other moms. If there are adverse experiences that have come from Gifford, I hope to hear those also so I might not feel so alone. A bad birth experience can really leave you with a lot of self doubt and 'did I deserve this somehow?' thinking.<br><br>
There are a select few there who I adored and were wonderful, but unfortunately, you don't know who you're going to get. Amie, one of the Midwives, is remarkable. Natalie, the student Midwife was with me much of the time and was just incredible. They would do well to put her on staff once her internship is complete.<br><br>
I hope to hear more people's experiences, good, bad or in between. Again, if anyone has information to offer that they don't feel comfortable posting here - as some adverse experieneces might feel more private - please PM me.

 

[box_of_rain]

Bumping your thread for you...<br><br><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">

 

[Vik]

Here's my little story. For many years I vowed I'd have a homebirth-waterbirth. Moved to VT (Rochester), got pregnant, found a midwife in Montpelier and was all set to go forth! Then, at 30 weeks my midwife said she wasn't comfortable doing a homebirth due to a fibroid she'd found a coupla months back and it's size and location. So, after much sobbing I realized I must go forth as this baby was to be born! You have NO idea how against hospital births I was! Then, we went and toured Gifford. It felt as good as a hospital could. Tanya was the first midwife I met with and her energy was just so calming and understanding of our situation. I 'hurridly' met with all the midwives since I didn't know who would be on duty when I went into labor. To jump to the end of the story so as not to bore readers - Tanya was the one on call when I went into labor. Sage (6 1/2 months old now) was born on my bday and he came forth after 16 1/2 hours of intense labor. I wasn't so quiet during labor and never once felt like I had to quiet down. The nurse with us the whole time was Teresa and she was wonderful! She's a Mom of 8! Gifford treated us like royalty and not just 'another birth'. The hospital kitchen catered wonderfully to our vegan needs and I don't have a single bad thing to report about the place! If I had to birth in hospital again I'd have NO hesitancy going to Gifford. We live in Randolph now and I always pop by with Sage to say hi. The nurses are always glad to see us and we attend a New Parent class they have also. It's more like a playgroup really and we get to see each other's little ones go thru all the exciting changes and growths. ALL the nurses on duty the two days we were there were awesome - gentle, understanding, etc.<br><br>
As a p.s. if anyone reading this lives in our area and has a little one close to Sage's age, I'd love to hear from you! We don't know hardly a soul here and I get kinda lonesome!

 

[lauren]

I wanted to say hi ChasingGrace, and thanks for being sensitive to hearing different birth experiences at Gifford. I'm sorry that your experience wasn't positive. My birth there was four years ago, so not relative to your question, but I am always curious about how things may have changed there since then.<br><br>
I just wanted to make you aware that one of our forums here is related to healing from negative birth experiences.<br><br><a href="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=502" target="_blank">http://www.mothering.com/discussions...play.php?f=502</a><br><br>
I wanted to point it out to you because it's sort of tucked away in the birth section and not always obvious. It is a safe space to process issues from birth, whether these were minor disappointments, or major issues. Take care.

 

[ChasingGrace]

Thanks for the info on that other forum, Lauren. I will check that out. I am so glad your birth went well there.

 

[mesdtudentmom]

Any more Gifford birth stories/experiences??

 

[autumnvt]

Hi! I've had both of my kids at Gifford with the midwives (2005,2008). So with two different sets of midwives. With my son, I really enjoyed my prenatal visits and felt like they really cared about me and took the time to create a relationship. He ended up being induced because my water broke and 36 hours later, my contractions had not become regular... It was a tough delivery, I was induced with cervidil, contrax began hard right away and Ds was born 9 hours later in the tub. I remember the midwife doing paper work for the last couple of hours before the birth. The next midwife came in the next day and made a comment about wondering if I learned not to wait so long next time as my baby was born at 42 weeks at 9 lbs... So good experience initially, but not so great birth experience.<br><br>
Fast forward three years. When I became pregnant with my second, I initialy thought about home birth, but after alot of thought, DH and I decided against it. So back to Gifford with a whole new set of midwives. I did not feel a connection with any of the midwives this time around and really felt as if I was just another number for them. I did really like the intern and decided at the end to stay with them because I knew the nurses were great. So DD was luckily born how I hoped it to be. She was delivered within 1 hour of arriving and we left after 24 hours. No interventions. Easy quick birth. DD was born 2 days before 40 weeks and I was already feeling the pressure of what to do at my visit. They had just had a stillbirth and were being extra careful, I think. But are now ready to induce at 41 weeks. Then I had an okay 2 week appointment, but my 6 week appointment was a next time, a disappointment as I think the midwife had no idea she had delivered my baby six weeks prior. There won't be a next time, but if there was, we'd go for a home birth.

 

[lauren]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/greensad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="greensad"><br><br>
Those sound like challenging experiences.

 

[ChasingGrace]

Bumping this post