[dutchstar]

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<p>hello...</p>
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<p>i've been searching through the previous posts, but would love more recent feedback about midwifery practices near yardley pa.  i had one appt w/ the lawrenceville midwives (out of floral park office) before becoming pregnant... but i am open to considering the delaware valley midwifery practice (in princeton) if it seems like they would be a better fit for me. </p>
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<p>for my last child, i had a very positive experience having a natural birth in a hospital - in another part of the state.  and i would like to again plan for a natural birth in a hospital.  some reviews have mentioned that the delaware ob gyn midwives seemed too "medwifey"... and would love to hear from others.  i'd also love to hear from any doulas (if you are out there!) who have worked with either practice?</p>
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<p>thanks so much... i am thrilled to be pregnant again!'</p>
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<p></p>

 

[dlm194]

<p>I know a few women from my old job (and recently) who used the Del Val ob/gyns.  When the women went in fully educated and determined to have a natural birth (i.e. they were prepared with a birthing method, knowledge, etc) , things generally went nicely.  I worked with one woman who birthed on all 4s with them.  On the other hand, one woman decided she was tired of being pregnant and asked for an induction which they readily did.  Luckily, her induction went fairly quickly but it also seemed to overwhelm her and she begged for an epidural within a couple hours of starting the induction.  I thought that situation was a little more "medical" than it needed to be; there was no point to the induction other than convenience.  However, if you have been through a natural birth already, you'll probably do fine!</p>
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<p>Capital health (where the Lawrence midwives go) has one of the lowest epidural rates in the state.  I had my 2nd baby there with Midwifery Care Associates in Pennington.  They do home and hospital births so their philosophy centers around natural birth.  No one ever tried to offer me an epidural and no one was constantly trying to "assess my pain level" at the hospital.  I think that helped a lot!  They also have a couple of laboring tubs there and don't require a nurse or the midwife to constantly sit in the tub room with you (which some hospitals require).  It was just my dh and me in there.  </p>

 

[dutchstar]

<p>thank you <strong>dlm</strong> for your feedback, i really appreciate it.  i went ahead and made an appt with the lawrenceville midwives, since i had been there before for one appt and got a good vibe, and i read elsewhere on these boards that in general the nurses at capital health tend to be more natural-birth friendly.  there office is also extremely easy for me to get to!  we had shoulder dystocia during my first child's delivery, and fortunately the midwife had a lot of experience and knew exactly what to do, and everything ended up totally fine. i have no other risk factors for having a repeat dystocia (i'm very thin, no gestational diabetes, i didn't even gain a lot of weight with my pregnancy), other than the fact that i have a history of dystocia.  it just makes me a bit more nervous when deciding which midwifery practice to choose, knowing that this could be a possibility.</p>
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<p>any chance you might have some doula recs in this area?  i searched online but didn't find too many.</p>
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<p>thank you! <span><img alt="smile.gif" height="16" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/smile.gif" width="16"></span></p>
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[dlm194]

<p>Have you told the Lawrence midwives that you had shoulder dystocia with your first birth?  The reason I ask that is that I have a friend who had 3 births with them.  She was happy with her experiences but she wasn't the natural birth type - she got epidurals.  She birthed 2 10lb babies with hardly a tear.  With her 3rd baby, the midwives suggested that she get an u/s to check size.  I asked her why and she said that if the baby looked big, they would recommend a c-section.  My jaw just about hit the floor.  Luckily, she declined the u/s and her 3rd baby was a "tiny" 8.5 lbs.  I don't think they pushed it but I would definitely get any potential complications out in the open as soon as possible to see what they say! </p>
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<p>Let's see.....  as far as doulas:</p>
<p>Here is a pretty comprehensible list:  <a href="http://tristatedoulas.tripod.com/id4.html%C2%A0%C2%A0" target="_blank">http://tristatedoulas.tripod.com/id4.html  </a> (I'm just not sure how up to date it is!)</p>
<p>Some of the doulas I know include:</p>
<p>Patrice:  <a href="http://www.empoweredtobirthnaturally.com/" target="_blank">http://www.empoweredtobirthnaturally.com/</a></p>
<p>Dorothy and Jessica: <a href="http://www.yourbestbirth.org/" target="_blank">http://www.yourbestbirth.org/</a></p>
<p>Rosemarie: <a href="http://mothertomotherservices.com/" target="_blank">http://mothertomotherservices.com/</a></p>

 

[dutchstar]

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<p>thanks again dlm!  last night i searched through the DONA listings for NJ and PA.  i realized that even though there weren't any doulas i found for newtown or yardley area (well, there were some but they were postpartum only), there are quite a few for princeton and other philly suburbs that offered birth doula services.</p>
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<p>funny you should ask, because i did mention the dystocia at my last appt, and the midwife i saw for that appt said something along the lines of, "are you going to try for a vaginal birth again?"  i was shocked that she would even think that i might schedule a c-section.  she did go on to explain that they all have the most up-to-date training in handling dystocia, including using life-like models of delivering a fetus, and that she didn't mean for her comment to suggest that it would be that risky.  but it still left me feeling a little uncomfortable, which is why i started pursuing feedback for the delaware valley ob/gyn group.  the last group of midwives i worked with did inform me that i could face this complication again, but there was no reason why i shouldn't still prepare for a natural birth again.</p>
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<p>i have an appt this month, so i will see how it goes and i can always look into other options as the pregnancy progresses.  i have also considered the pennington midwives (i know someone who had a really positive home birth experience with them), but i need to find out more about how insurance coverage would work with them.  for some reason, and i know this seems silly, but it makes me nervous that there are only two of them!</p>
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<p>again, thanks for sharing your thoughts and the experiences of your friends.</p>

 

[dlm194]

<p>Actually, as of January, there will be 3 midwives in the Pennington group.  They hired another one.    The one nice thing about a small group is that (especially in this case), the midwives have the same philosophy.   My old midwife group had 3 midwives and there was one I didn't care for.  Of course she was at my birth and it was a horrible experience.  You have to pay the midwives in Pennington up front and then they submit to insurance right after your birth so that you get reimbursed.  You would just need to understand how your out-of-network benefits work.  They do offer a free consult!</p>
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<p>I always think it's a good idea to explore your options though!  You never know what kind of a vibe you'll get from another group.  Also, you might want to try calling some area doulas and see whom they have worked with.  Sometimes talking to someone whose been at births with certain providers can give you invaluable insight!  Many doulas are happy to give you suggestions for providers that they've had good experiences with. </p>
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<p>Good luck in your search!!!</p>

 

[dutchstar]

<p>thanks again <strong>dlm</strong>, your previous link to doula listings was superhelpful too. i will be calling a few soon.  it was interesting to see that they are more expensive in this area than from where we previously lived, but it's money well spent!  i'm scheduled to start prenatal yoga soon too, and last time i found that a great way to hear from other women about their experiences with different practices and doulas.</p>
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<p>all the best to you and your family!</p>

 

[bwaybaby918]

<p>Just wanted to chime in... I used Lawrence OBGYN doctors (all of my friends have used the midwives there, though, and all had great births with them - no epidurals, etc).  I had a wonderful, and natural, experience with the doctors (but it depends which doctor, I guess, and I was picky about which ones I would see), and Capital Health Mercer was GREAT!  They asked me for my birth plan as soon as I checked in!  I highly recommend them.  And, I did love the tub rooms, as well!</p>
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<p>)</p>

 

[dutchstar]

<p>thanks bwaybaby918 for your feedback!  i keep hearing more and more great things about Capital Health Mercer too.</p>
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[MrsMike]

<p>One of my awesomest friends had her babies with Lawrence OB group at Mercer hospital (Trenton?). She used the midwives and she LOVED them. They were not pushy and were very supportive. She says the rooms are very nice - they have tubs, birth balls and squat bars.</p>