Midwife V/s OBGYN

I really think it is a matter of personal preference, how you imagine your childbirth and preventative routine medical care should be, and how you feel about having a male or female caregiver. Depending on how you envision your care plan to go, there are pros and cons for both.

I chose to go with an ob/gyn and never considered (nor would I consider) a midwife. For me, it is a matter of personal preference. I also have some intricate health issues that I feel are better addressed by an ob/gyn. I hope people don't buy in to the unfair generalization that ALL ob/gyns are evilly-grinning, scalpel-wielding surgeons just DYING to cut your baby out of your belly despite your protests. Believe it or not, there are several caring and knowledgeable ob/gyns out there who really and truly listen to their patients and honor their respects and wishes. I should know; my solo practitioner physician is one of them. Since he is the only doctor in the practice, he is the only one I see and I was guaranteed that he would be present for the delivery my baby (although...after 3 hours of pushing, he decided to give me a break to rest and stepped out for a minute...I'm not even kidding when I say that 5 minutes later my child came out...so technically it wasn't a 'guarantee' that he'd be there, but it wasn't like he wasn't there because it wasn't his night to be 'on call').

Some women are uncomfortable with male ob/gyns and that is completely understandable. At the end of the day, you need to make a decision that you will feel good about and you should not be criticized if you choose one over the other. Good luck with your decision!

I chose a midwife to deliver my third child for a childbirth experience that I hoped would be less invasive.
She was more friendly than my previous gyne however she still tried to persuade me to have an amniocentesis since I was over 35. I would choose a midwife again just because her bedside manner was better than the doctors.

I had a midwife with my second and loved them (the practice had two). I felt like they actually knew me, spent time with me, and cared about me as a person.

With my third, I went to an OB/GYN because their office was close by and I thought it would be more convenient. I was miserable! They wouldn't listen to anything I had to say and treated me as a "chart", not a person. They put me through unnecessary stress because of their "policies".

I am done having children, but if I wasn't I would definitely NOT go back to an OB/GYN. In Illinois Midwives have to work out of hospitals, for the most part, so you're going to have the necessary medical treatments if there is a problem.

Obgyns are trained to be surgeons, first and foremost. The obgyn that delivered my son via c-section (breech) did his first rotation in plastics before becoming an obgyn. Midwives are nurses and trained to take care of the whole woman. They are trained by women, for women--to care for all stages of the woman's life. I had a midwife delivery my second child. The entire office was much more personal. They knew me by first name and were much more accomodating to my needs throughout my pregnancy and after.

Hi! I used an office with my first and hated that there were all these different doctors and I barely knew the one who ended up delivering my son. Plus, my son was born with a disability and the experience with her was terrible. I sought our midwives for my next 2 pregnancies and did not regret it! I had a much more personal relationship with her and she worked with doctors so I knew if anything went wrong or I needed a c-section again that she would call in the doctors because she could not do the surgery. Also,a big difference is that they spend your labor with you as well as delivering. So they were very helpful getting me through everything! Hope this helps!

Hi Yvette,
I think that the other moms have explained the difference very well.

I had a midwife for both of my pregnancies. My first was actually an emergency c/s 3 months early. My midwife (who did not do the surgery) was by my side every step of the way.

With my 2nd, I so wanted the natural birth that we planned for the first time around. I had to be transferred to a high risk doc for a portion of my pregnancy, but once I hit full term, I was transferred back to the midwives.

A midwife will listen to YOU with what you want and let you take the lead with what you want. It is a very empowering experience.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask any other questions.
B.

I should start out by saying that I am VERY PRO-MIDWIFE. The main difference is that an OB/GYN is a surgeon, whereas a midwife isn't. A midwife (I'm talking about a CNM now) is an EXCELLENT choice for a pregnancy if you are a typical healthy woman. Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) are registered nurses and have an additional masters degree in midwifery. If you end up with an issue that a midwife is not qualified to handle (like during your birth you need a vacuum, or even a c-section) your midwife works with an OB/GYN to give you the next level of care. And if everything goes well, she can take care of it all.

Midwives are less likely to intervene in a healthy pregnancy and are more likely to let nature do its thing as long as mom and baby are healthy. They are better at giving labor support and are generally WITH YOU the entire time you're in the hospital - not just popping in at the last minute to catch the baby. People who birth with midwives are less likely to be induced, less likely to have a c-section, less likely to decide to use epidural anaesthesia.

Midwives have more time to talk to their patients. They schedule longer appointments and take a more holistic approach to everything. They generally will treat the WHOLE patient, not just the issue at hand. Midwives are more likely to support natural births, if this is your desire. Many will do water births, home births etc.

I have had midwives for both of my pregnancies and have been really happy with that choice. With my first pregnancy I had been planning a natural delivery but my son was breech at term and I ended up having a scheduled c-section. My MW didn't do the surgery, but she was there by my side along with my husband during it. My second pregnancy I was planning a natural VBAC and I got that (!!)

I feel like my MWs will frequently suggest a less drastic approach before moving to a more "medicalized" approach. For example, when I was 31 weeks pregnant and my second baby was breech, my MWs were able to recommend an accupuncturist and a chiropractor who were good at helping babies flip around (she flipped!!) After my birth I had some mild birth-related injuries to my pelvic organs. An OB/GYN told me I needed surgery, but my MW referred me to physical therapy. I've been seeing a PT for about 6 weeks and my problem is nearly completely better. I had my MW put in my IUD a few weeks ago. She is also the person who does my annual exams.