Why I chose a Midwife - Part 1
Jamie Temple
Once I found out that I was pregnant, I began my search for an obstetrician. After sifting through doctors on my insurance plan and reading up on them (Yelp, Healthgrades, etc.), I finally narrowed down my list and started making calls.
It did not take long for frustration to kick in. Most doctors that were accepting patients didn’t have available appointment slots for 2-3 months. I booked the soonest appointment I could get and continued my research.
As I sifted through more reviews and read about Atlanta’s local hospitals, I started thinking that the normal route may not be the best option for me. After discovering that the fancy-schmancy baby factory hospital in the area (Northside) had a 40% C-section rate in 2013 (see CBS 46 article), I determined that an alternate route was the only choice for me.
I found Intown Midwifery through Yelp and booked an appointment. Their philosophy is to treat pregnancy and childbirth as a natural experience - not a medical condition. I was able to meet several of the midwives throughout my pregnancy and truly enjoyed their natural and calm approach. On my first visit, I was told that they would support me through labor whether I chose the all natural route or one with medical interventions. It was reassuring knowing that all of my choices would be considered and respected.
A typical visit at Intown Midwifery consisted of lab work (urine sample, weight, blood pressure), hearing the baby’s heartbeat, and a meeting with a midwife to ask questions. A few visits included blood-work and ultrasounds (they recommended a few extra ultrasounds to check for potential placenta previa and low amniotic fluid which all worked out in the end). I was offered all of the standard tests and was supported through any that I wanted and not pushed to go through with tests that I did not want (i.e., amniocentesis which carries a 1% miscarriage risk).
We only went to one of the group sessions, and decided that those meetings were not for us. I was expecting more of a classroom-style learning experience and not an around-the-room discussion session. The group sessions would be more useful for someone who doesn’t plan to read books on pregnancy and childbirth and for husbands who don’t mind hearing all of the details (I attempted to shield my husband from some information for the sake of modesty that the group session quickly revealed).
In Part 2, I will discuss my waterbirth experience (minus any graphic details).