Midwife vs. OBGYN?

[Qubedo]

I am an anthropology student and I am working on a research paper on how midwifery is viewed versus OBGYNs. So if anyone here would like to give me their opinions and why they have them on the subject, I would appreciate it.

Does midwifery even play a significant role in modern society? Is it considered as a viable option? IS is a viable option? On the flip side, why are OBGYNs seemingly so much more reliable and available?

Thanks!

 

[JessPape]

OB's are trained in high risks pregnancies, and they are trained in offering medication and ways to speed up labor.. Thrus, making women higher risks for csections. There job is to get the baby here as quick as they can. Most OB's have not seen natural birth without interventions, if they have they are very few.

Midwifes ONLY look after pregnant women, they do lots of studies, and they try to stay away from interventions unless they need too. However, they can only take low risk women.

I would have a midwife any day, after my OB experience.

 

[girlnboots]

I have an OB whom I love. He is understanding and wonderful. However, I do prefer the natural aspects of midwifery. Unfortunately, my insurance doesn't cover midwifery or home/birthing centers. Its hospital or bust.

My doctor is letting me stay as natural as I'd like, but some women aren't so lucky.

 

[mamaduke]

I have an OB whom I love. He is understanding and wonderful. However, I do prefer the natural aspects of midwifery. Unfortunately, my insurance doesn't cover midwifery or home/birthing centers. Its hospital or bust.

My doctor is letting me stay as natural as I'd like, but some women aren't so lucky.

Same deal here - while I love some of the natural aspects of midwifery, the insurance company covers hospitals. Thankfully, I live near a Baby Friendly hospital, so I get a lot of the perks that are apparently rare at "regular" hospitals. More on those: https://www.babyfriendlyusa.org/find-facilities

I thankfully have an OB that's very supportive of my wishes for as natural of a delivery as possible even though it's in a hospital. That and the hospital team rarely sees natural births so when they see moms like me coming in, they're already cheering us on.

 

[onceisenough1]

OBgyn. I am too paranoid to go without drugs and intervention, etc...

 

[Kitteh_Kat]

OBGYN - my mother almost died giving birth to me, so I wanted someone that could take whatever steps were necessary if I crashed like she did. Thankfully I did not, but I still enjoyed the reassurance of having one there just in case!

 

[Shadowy Lady]

I think it depends on where you live? I live in Ottawa, Canada and our health care system covers the cost of both OB's and midwives. It's not like the US where you go through crazy expensive insurance companies (I'm so glad I live here).

I went with a midwife and they are definitely becoming more prominent here. If you have a low risk pregnancy (which most women do) there are no needs for an OB. OB's are surgeons and will be handy for high risk pregnancies, for other they're just an overkill IMO.

Also:
- I had the same midwife throughout my pre-natal care and she also delivered my baby. Typical for midwives but rare for OB's. None of my friends who had an OB had their doctor deliver their baby.
- Pre-natal and post-natal appts with midwives are longer (45 mins to an hour vs at the OB office you get 10-15mins)
- Midwives will come to your house for the post natal appts so you don't have to haul a newborn and a recovering post-baby body to the clinic. I found this so helpful!
- We chose where we give birth with a midwives here (hospital, birth centre or home). Hospitals in my city are very pro-choice for labouring women and accomodating to midwives. I loved my natural hospital birth SO much!

The only flipside is that in my province midwives are so in demand that not everyone that wants one will get one. I called in as soon as I got pregnant and luckily I got a midwife

 

[RaspberryK]

I only ever saw midwives (UK low risk) and I had a fab experience and really don't like the look of the interventions and medicalisation I have seen on US programs from the OBGYNS.

x

 

[fashionqueen]

It depends where you live. In the UK midwives deal with high & low risk pregnancies. A consultant might come in if needed but you see a midwife here as a matter of course.

 

[mara16jade]

You'll find that certain parts of the world and even particular areas of the USA favor midwifery over obgyn (and visa versa).

Out here in the Los Angeles area - most people choose obgyn/hospitals/medication for pain. Everyone in my family has, my three friends have and I plan to as well.

Those who prefer one over the other will usually be very strong in their opinion (as I'm sure you've seen) and they all will have fact/stories/reasons for why they choose the route they do.

 

[Feronia]

OF COURSE midwives are "viable options." Studies show that having a midwife results in better outcomes and fewer interventions for healthy, low-risk women. Here's a good, recent article. Midwife-led care best for babies and moms, researchers say

OBGYNs are trained in high-risk pregnancy, so going to one if you're healthy and low-risk is like going to a neurosurgeon for a minor headache. Pregnancy is a natural, normal part of a woman's life in most cases. When it's not and a woman is high-risk, an OBGYN is the way to go though, for sure, and all midwives transfer to OBGYNs if a pregnancy becomes risky.

I'm located in Canada, though, and the midwifery system varies by country, so you sort of need to specify. My midwives were fabulous, compassionate women and I received amazing care. The hour-long appointments really allowed me to get to know them so it was a more personalized experience. I have never heard of an OBGYN offering hour-long appointments as a matter of course.

 

[girlnboots]

^ true! My appointments last roughly 10 minutes from the time I walk in and sit down to the time I leave.

 

[Kitteh_Kat]

I have never heard of an OBGYN offering hour-long appointments as a matter of course.

My appointments were usually 30 minutes with my OBGYN (could have gone on longer if I had more questions or concerns, but I was happy to escape after that ). He got to know me as well as my husband, and was quite happy to help me take control of my pregnancy and birth while giving his opinion or recommendation based on his medical experience. He had a very "hands off" approach as long the baby and I remained healthy. Even when my blood pressure spiked at the end he still worked with me to avoid induction as much as possible because he know I wanted to go into labor on my own if I could.

OBGYNs specialize in women's reproductive matters, including pregnancy, so it made sense to me to go that route. I knew that if something did go wrong (like it did at the end), I wouldn't have to get transferred to a doctor that I probably didn't know, instead of finishing the pregnancy with the person that had gotten to know me and what I wanted so well.

 

[Shadowy Lady]

I have never heard of an OBGYN offering hour-long appointments as a matter of course.

My appointments were usually 30 minutes with my OBGYN (could have gone on longer if I had more questions or concerns, but I was happy to escape after that ). He got to know me as well as my husband, and was quite happy to help me take control of my pregnancy and birth while giving his opinion or recommendation based on his medical experience. He had a very "hands off" approach as long the baby and I remained healthy. Even when my blood pressure spiked at the end he still worked with me to avoid induction as much as possible because he know I wanted to go into labor on my own if I could.

OBGYNs specialize in women's reproductive matters, including pregnancy, so it made sense to me to go that route. I knew that if something did go wrong (like it did at the end), I wouldn't have to get transferred to a doctor that I probably didn't know, instead of finishing the pregnancy with the person that had gotten to know me and what I wanted so well.

I think your 30min prenatal visits were def the exception and not the norm. I don't know anyone who went with OB and had that long an appointment so you were pretty lucky I also don't know anyone who went with OB and actually had their OB deliver their baby.

Statistically, 85% of pregnancies are considered low risk so there are no danger in going with midwife. They are the way to go in most of the world except for the USA (which btw USA has the highest infant mortality rate of the developped world due to high rate of intervention). If you are high risk, it is usually known at the very early stages of your pregnancy. Yes, you will hear of a lot of women needing an EMC and thinking "Thank God I had an OB". But because OB's are much more pro-interventions which usually lead to more intervension which increases your likleyhood of needing an EMC/forcep or vaccum use.

For me the happy medium was going with a midwife as it is true the labours/delivery/recovery almost always are a better experience for the mother and the baby. However, I gave birth in a hospital just in case something went wrong (our hospital is VERY pro-midwife). I wasn't keen on giving birth at home at all. I know women who do it and love it but not for me.

 

[AndiLou74]

It depends on geographical location and where you are in the world and the policies, social norms of the country you are in as to weather your opinion is swayed towards OB/GYN or a midwife.

In the UK and most of Europe the favour is towards midwives as this is the absolute normal. I trained as a midwife and worked as a midwife for 18 months before having to prematurely finish due to health issues and it was the most rewarding job ever.

Midwives are highly qualified and often have hunches about things due to experience and are pretty much every bit as good and reliable as the OB. If a midwife suspects any serious complication she will usually refer to the OB and act as the assistant. The only thing we were not allowed to do was perform surgery (of which we are not trained or qualified) however the midwife would always assist.

From experiencing both sides of the coin, being a mother and a midwife I can honestly say that I would much rather have the midwife any day. I had two high risk deliveries with complications that the midwife handled perfectly well. A midwife would rather see less intervention and a natural delivery rather than an unnecessary intervention that can often lead to CS. I remember after having my first baby I had a tear due to her being born face upwards rather than down. The OB who came in to review was determined to perform an episiotomy post delivery to repair but the midwife stood up for me and said that there was absolutely no need and if he didn't feel he could repair the tear without making more mess she would do the suturing herself. She really stood up to him for me and I am so pleased that she did.
OBS have their place, as do midwives.

 

[Akna]

I'm in the US and most people around here really push for an OB but I definitely prefer the midwife approach. I like the all natural approach where pregnancy isn't treated like a disease to be controlled and treated. There are some good OBs but the rates of interventions are far higher with OBs. In my practice they have both so if anything goes wrong, I have an OB available to me but I'm absolutely loving my midwife!