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<p>I see others on here are in Brooklyn or NYC. I am hoping to make the RE to midwife transition soon, and am looking for someone great in NYC. Any suggestions?</p>
midwife in NYC?
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434 Posts
<p>We have some awesome midwives here in Brooklyn. 
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<p>Are you planning a home, birth center, or hospital birth? </p>
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<p>Are you planning a home, birth center, or hospital birth? </p>
Joined
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105 Posts
<p>I'm pretty sure I'd like to birth in the center at St. Luke's Roosevelt. I'm also curious is anyone knows much about Brooklyn Birthing Center. After multiple miscarriages, and this being my first successful pregnancy, I'm not sure I'm ready for the full home birth (even though I love the idea). Birthing centers seems like a nice compromise.</p>
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<p>PS: I'm a southern bred Brooklyn girl, too. Virginia (guess that's semi-southern!)</p>
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<p>PS: I'm a southern bred Brooklyn girl, too. Virginia (guess that's semi-southern!)</p>
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434 Posts
<p>Hooray for Southern girls in Brooklyn! I'm from Florida which is sort of questionable for "The South" anyway, but it's a lot more South than here. </p>
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<p>I'm a doula, and have experiences at both birth centers...I find the Brooklyn Birthing Center to be more of a true birth center experience. It's freestanding (but uses Maimonedes Hospital as backup) and you can have more of the "home birth experience" if you're not quite sure about a home birth. It's a group of midwives, which you get to know each one (Barri Malek is wonderful, just moved there after St. Vincent's closing) and then whoever is on call will attend your birth.</p>
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<p>The SLR Birth Center is almost mythical in that almost everyone is risked out (you can't birth there if you go to 41 weeks, have anything that they find "questionable") or I've also heard of there just not being enough nurses there and women having to go to the regular labor & delivery floor. I've also attended a really beautiful birth there, but had other mothers risked out or turned away for other reasons. I think a lot depends on your midwife. The ones I've worked with there are Sandy Woods and Midwifery of Manhattan (Beth Kreigsman) and both were great. </p>
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<p>I'd check out both spaces & meet some different midwives and find out who and where feels like the best fit for you.</p>
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<p>If you're interested in meeting homebirth midwives at all, PM me for my favorites.</p>
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<p>I'm a doula, and have experiences at both birth centers...I find the Brooklyn Birthing Center to be more of a true birth center experience. It's freestanding (but uses Maimonedes Hospital as backup) and you can have more of the "home birth experience" if you're not quite sure about a home birth. It's a group of midwives, which you get to know each one (Barri Malek is wonderful, just moved there after St. Vincent's closing) and then whoever is on call will attend your birth.</p>
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<p>The SLR Birth Center is almost mythical in that almost everyone is risked out (you can't birth there if you go to 41 weeks, have anything that they find "questionable") or I've also heard of there just not being enough nurses there and women having to go to the regular labor & delivery floor. I've also attended a really beautiful birth there, but had other mothers risked out or turned away for other reasons. I think a lot depends on your midwife. The ones I've worked with there are Sandy Woods and Midwifery of Manhattan (Beth Kreigsman) and both were great. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I'd check out both spaces & meet some different midwives and find out who and where feels like the best fit for you.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If you're interested in meeting homebirth midwives at all, PM me for my favorites.
</p><p> </p>
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374 Posts
<p>The home birth scene is so great in NYC, with SO many options, I would really look into that if I were you. I can understand being hesitant after multiple miscarriages, but home birth is SO wonderful, for both you and baby, I think a birth center is a pretty distant second, although I don't mean to diss birth centers by saying that. There are so many hospitals around too, in the very rare chance if something came up, you would always be close. It's not like the country or something with the closest hospital being an hour or two away, lol. There are soooo many amazing midwives to choose from. A friend of mine really loved her midwife, she had a HB in Brooklyn, I'm forgetting the midwive's name, I'll ask her. I really hate Saint Lukes Roosevelt. I haven't been to the birth center, but I believe it's connected to the hospital so it's all kind of the same. I had an awful, awful, awful experience at the hospital and I can't even stand looking at the building anymore. The OB dealing with me I found to not be at all impressive either, and when the birthing center is connected to the hospital, I could be mistaken but any of those doctors if they're on call could be getting up in your business, lol. Very medical minded, and not in a good way, just ... ick. </p>
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<p>The at home appointments, the super chill vibe, having my baby where I am MOST comfortable (home), laboring in my PJ's, it was all so great. I really owe it to my midwife for helping me with breastfeeding. I didn't expect the beginning to be so hard and without her I'm not sure we would have gotten through the rough patch. </p>
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<p>The at home appointments, the super chill vibe, having my baby where I am MOST comfortable (home), laboring in my PJ's, it was all so great. I really owe it to my midwife for helping me with breastfeeding. I didn't expect the beginning to be so hard and without her I'm not sure we would have gotten through the rough patch. </p>
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61 Posts
<p>We lived in brooklyn when my daughter was born - now in virginia tee hee </p>
<p>My daughter was born at home in our little apartment. I was pretty nervous about doing it at home, but we checked out several hospitals and they freaked me out! I am so pleased that we did do it hat home. Too many people I know were sent home in early labor because they were not progressed enough - even my friend who was birthing at St Lukes birthing center with a midwife. She was sent home twice, getting the subway back to park slope one of the times, before finally being admitted. She said that the birthing center was ok, but she thought it would be more 'homey' than it turned out to be.</p>
<p>No experience with the birthing center in brooklyn. WE looked into it but it was just too far from us (we were in clinton hill).</p>
<p>Our midwife was based in Park Slope, and her name was Joan Bryson. She was no-nonsense, but awesome. HHer assistant, Tessa is also a doula and was the sweetest person, They worked great together. It was so lovely to go to their office each month and they were so respectful when at our house. I had a few emergencies prior to the birth and we were not charged extra for those. There was a package rate for the whole care and they had someone who dealt with insurance companies for you</p>
<p><a href="http://www.communitymidwifery.com/" target="_blank">http://www.communitymidwifery.com/</a></p>
<p>We are now starting with another homebirth group here in virginia and hopefully it can also be a nice experience.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
</p><p>My daughter was born at home in our little apartment. I was pretty nervous about doing it at home, but we checked out several hospitals and they freaked me out! I am so pleased that we did do it hat home. Too many people I know were sent home in early labor because they were not progressed enough - even my friend who was birthing at St Lukes birthing center with a midwife. She was sent home twice, getting the subway back to park slope one of the times, before finally being admitted. She said that the birthing center was ok, but she thought it would be more 'homey' than it turned out to be.</p>
<p>No experience with the birthing center in brooklyn. WE looked into it but it was just too far from us (we were in clinton hill).</p>
<p>Our midwife was based in Park Slope, and her name was Joan Bryson. She was no-nonsense, but awesome. HHer assistant, Tessa is also a doula and was the sweetest person, They worked great together. It was so lovely to go to their office each month and they were so respectful when at our house. I had a few emergencies prior to the birth and we were not charged extra for those. There was a package rate for the whole care and they had someone who dealt with insurance companies for you</p>
<p><a href="http://www.communitymidwifery.com/" target="_blank">http://www.communitymidwifery.com/</a></p>
<p>We are now starting with another homebirth group here in virginia and hopefully it can also be a nice experience.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
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91 Posts
<p>Homebirth in NYC is great! I worked with a homebirth midwife for several years, her patients were in awe of her and having worked at different hospitals, birth centers in NYC, CA and AZ I can easily say I have witnessed the most beautiful and rewarding births at home. Check out <a href="http://www.nyhomebirth.com/" target="_blank">http://www.nyhomebirth.com/</a>. You could always interview a couple of different midwives and see how you feel. I've never been to the Brooklyn Birthing Center, but I've worked with clients at SL Birth Center and they often get risked out, or get sent to L&D because of staffing issues. And you can have your baby in the water at home!!</p>
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<p>Good luck and you know this, but just go with what feels right to you. </p>
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<p>Good luck and you know this, but just go with what feels right to you. </p>
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1,017 Posts
<p>DDC-crashing because I'm in Brooklyn! I am planning an early April homebirth with a midwife, and just wanted to say hello to some other NYC MDC people. </p>
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105 Posts
<p>Thanks for all the input. It's great to "meet" so many other Brooklyn ladies here! One of my closest girl friends had a home birth last year (in Brooklyn) and speaks as enthusiastically about it as those of you who have done it. I'd love to consider it. I think I just need some time to phase out of getting so much medical care - it's been a rough two years and I don't quite trust my body like I used to. I imagine this will change as I get further along in the pregnancy. For now, I'm still apprehensive and feel like I need more constant reassurance than many women do.</p>
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<p>Still, I really like the idea of a midwife and finding out all of my options. It's great to be connected to so many progressive mamas out there!</p>
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<p>Still, I really like the idea of a midwife and finding out all of my options. It's great to be connected to so many progressive mamas out there!</p>
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