Midwives at Mount Auburn

Hi A.! Many Congrats to you. I met a few of them at a Hypnobirthing class, I delivered at MGH. Many of my clients have experienced the midwives for prenatal care and delivery. Said they really enjoyed the experience. Best of luck to you!
J.

I didn't use the midwives, but my OB is at Mt. Auburn Practice for Women in Watertown and she just became the head of the whole OB Dep't at the hospital, Leslie MacDonald. I love her and the other dr. at my office, and my two delivery experiences at Mt. Auburn were amazing. I remember writing to another post about this question a few months ago and saying I didn't want to leave the hospital either time after I had my girls. They are very understanding of whatever you believe in terms of pre and post care, and their number one goal is obviously for you to have a healthy baby. I had high blood pressure with both pregnancies and c-sections to boot, and they took awesome care of me and my girls. Good luck and enjoy your pregnancy!!

I had prenatal care and delivery with midwives at Mt Auburn. I highly recommend them. They know their stuff. They respect your wishes in terms of how much natural vs intervention (drugs) you want for delivery. I've known other women who delivered with the midwives at Mt. Auburn and everyone had a positive experience.

I also have not used the midwives but delivered after a somewhat complicated pregnancy at Mount Auburn, and cannot imagine having had better care. My baby was born 6 weeks early by C-section due to the complications I mentioned, and the medical and surgical team was amazing -- they even said "please" and "thank you" to each other during the procedure. Even the anesthesiologist was incredibly thoughtful, patient and kind (I was extremely anxious about the surgery and my baby's health). My baby daughter was born early but strong and healthy -- stayed 9 days in the Level 2 nursery where the nurses were like a part of our family -- only SLIGHTLY better informed. I can't say enough good things about our experience with the staff and the facilities there.

GOod luck in making your decision!

First off, I want to say that I LOVE midwives. I recommend using them to any pregnant friends (or anyone that will listen). People still have a misconception that midwives only deliver at home, and that it may not be as "safe" (not true). If you deliver with a midwife group in a hospital setting there will always be a doctor back-up. I think people don't realize that when a OB/GYN delivers you, they do just that-- wait until the nurse tells them you're dilated and ready to push, then they come in to "catch" your baby. Midwives "labor-sit"-- they stay with you through the process.

I delivered my first child at Mt. Auburn with the midwife group in 2004. I loved my experience with all the office visits/pre-natal care (I think I mostly saw Sharon Mullens?). Unfortunately, when I went into labor, it seemed like the midwife on call and I just didn't "click". I wanted to try for natural childbirth, but was open to an epidural if I needed one. I labored in the hot-tub for awhile, but was taking a long time to dilate, and the midwife seemed frustrated. (She already told me that another patient earlier in her shift needed a c-section). I didn't feel like she helped a lot with getting me through my contractions, and at one point she put a towel over the clock because I was watching the second hand-- but I felt like I needed that to focus... anyway, I ended up getting an epidural, and felt like I disappointed the mid-wife (2 patients: a c-section and an epidural-- not a great night for a midwife!). My post-partum care, and follow-up care at Mt Auburn Midwives was all really good, and the end result was a healthy baby boy-- it was just bad luck getting someone I didn't click with during the labor...

For my second baby, I ended up moving, so I went to Harvard Vanguard in Wellesley and saw Mary Baker (LOVE!!!)-- I was lucky enough that she was on call when I went into labor, and with her help (and a fabulous mid-wife student), I was able to deliver naturally, which was what I really wanted, and was one of the best experiences of my life. Newton-Wellesley is a great hospital too-- I was really happy with all my care there.

So, I guess part of it's just luck of who's on call when you go into labor. If you live close, Mt. Auburn is a great place to deliver. You may also consider the birthing center at Cambridge Hospital, or Newton-Wellesley, depending where you live...

Good luck!!!

I had a very good experience with MAMA (Mt Auburn Midwives Assoc) in 2000. I liked especially having a birthing room with a hot tub, which their patients are offered. I really like this group of women, and still see them for routine visits. I remember they have regular "Meet the Midwives" sessions, when you can go and chat with them and ask questions. This is nice, since any one of them could be on call when you go into labor, and it's nice to have a chance to meet them all. You can have pre-natal visits with any of them too, which is nice for getting to known them and vice versa. My labor was so long that I started out with one midwife, delivered with a second, and was visited by a third in recovery! Knowing them all really made me feel more at ease, and it helped that they were all friendly, relaxed, professional, and confident.

They were very nice and professional, didn't rush me through appointments, and they can handle everything birth-related except performing a cesarean-section and administering an epidural. But since they deliver at Mt Auburn, there is always an MD on-hand to perform these procedures if needed. I requested and got an epidural, which went very smoothly. Thank goodness, I didn't need a c-section; apparently patients of midwives have lower rates of c-sections, in part because midwives tend to keep their patients feeling calmer and more relaxed (I think) than MDs. They do not dismiss your questions and concerns, nor do they make you unnecessarily nervous. I think this makes for a better birthing experience (it worked for me!).

I also liked how welcoming they were at every step up the way to my husband, who was an active participant all the way through (!!). He and the midwife and attending nurse really worked as a team - my team! - throughout my labor and delivery, which meant so much to me. They even had a fold-out chair-bed for him to nap on, so that he could stay with me and our newborn throughout the night.

The other thing that I really appreciated about MAMA, is that they were very helpful and supportive in getting me started successfully breast-feeding. Having that support on-hand in the first 24 hours especially really makes a difference. I would strongly encourage you to consider them for your birthing choice - good luck and have a great delivery!

** I just read the review by Lila about her experience with MAMA, and am saddened and surprised by what she describes. It sounds so different from what I experienced almost 8 years ago; I'm worried that Mt Auburn may have changed some of its practices. It may be worth asking the folks at MAMA about some of the things she describes going on at the hospital, and if those are standard practices. Especially being made to walk to the bathroom right after delivery in order to see her child? And not being allowed a wheel chair after an episiotomy? And the midwife not being available to her, and not being helpful during labor. (Though I, too, remember my attending nurse there was really wonderful, very supportive and worked well with me and the midwife and my husband.) And I remember attending a live demonstration with a newborn on standard care, changing, bathing, etc, not a video. I'm really perplexed by what she describes, it just sounds like a totally different place and experience from what I had.

Hi A.,

I delivered at Mount Auburn nearly one year ago and I would absolutely recommend it.
I've read the post about bad experience but my experience was completely opposite.

We arrived at the hospital at 6:30am. The midwife on call came immediately. This surprised me because she knew it would take a few hours and the next shift was at 7:00am. She was very nice and friendly. She had an Irish name but I can't remember it now.

At 7:00, I entered the delivery room with the team from the morning shift (a midwife + a trainee). I could choose the best room because I was the only woman that morning, a nice room with view on the river and jacuzzi. FRom that point, the midwife didn't leave. She stayed with us the all time (up to 1pm) and she reassured us that from the time I would be in transitionning stage, she would sty with us even after the shift, so I wouldn't need to adapt to another midwife.

She (they!) was very helpful, giving advise on the breathing techniques, massaging me, advising also my husband who was quite lost. I could use the bathtub, a relaxing ball, any position I wanted to try, a mirror (but I refused this one)...

At one point, the pain was so that I thought I would need an epidural. She advised me to go to the bath first, and it made magic to relieve the pain (she was masaging me with lavender and other smell from aromtatherapy)

I delivered naturally and I owe that to her. Without her, the labor would have been more painful and longer (I was holding the contractions)

After delivery, they immediately put the baby on the breast to latch on. They were very patients and informative. They made most of the tests and measurments on the room, so I was with my baby nearly all the time and away from him as little as possible.

During my stay, nurses and midwives came regularly to my room to ask if everything was OK. They spent all the time needed to be sure they answered my questions, especially regarding baby care and breastfeeding.

The stay at Mount Auburn was also very nice. My husband spent the night with us. The menu is varied and delivery quite fast. Food is very good, more comparable to a restaurant than an hospital.

After 11 months and a half, I'm still very thankful to them and very sorry I don't even know their name! Thank to their advise, I never had any breasfeeding problem!

Wish you the same luck,
all the best.

I liked all of the midwives I met EXCEPT one. And that was of course the woman who ended up delivering my daughter. I really wish I could remember her name. The whole experience was kind of a blur. I had a pretty long labor and ended up going through three midwives (three shifts) and they were all absolutely wonderful except for the last one. I would definitely still recommend using a midwife... but I have to say I wasn't all that impressed with Mt. Auburn Hospital in general. If I had it all to do over again I would probably find another hospital.

Problem with the one midwife:

-Once she got on shift she didn't come in right away. The nurse was the one coming in and checking to see how dilated I was. The nurse informed me that the midwife was going to try and get some rest. What?! That just didn't seem right to me. Seems like you come on your shift rested. And then when I was pushing I had to keep asking the midwife to hold my leg for me. And then she only did that half-heartedly. She was useless. The nurse way WAY more helpful (although the nurse lacked interpersonal skills I really couldn't have done it without her - her name was Lori). I also asked the midwife to count through my pushes for me - she kept stopping half way through and messing me all up. Ugh. I hated her.

After I gave birth I didn't like:

1. They had to take my daughter away to get cleaned up and I wasn't allowed to go my room and see her until I was able to walk to the bathroom and pee. I just felt like I was away from my daughter for too long so I forced myself to make the trip to the bathroom and ended up passing out.

2. I wish the nurses had more time to explain baby care. They just run these videos in your room that you can't control so if you are interested in something you just have to wait for the whole thing to get back to that part - something that with a newborn makes that nearly impossible. I know other hospital that have classes during the day for anyone interested.

3. I wished the lactation specialists were friendlier. I had some difficulties with getting my daughter to latch properly initially and found them to be very abrupt and hurried. I found it more stressful sometimes to ask for help which isn't okay.

4. When I was released I waited for someone to come with a wheelchair - finally the nurse came in and asked why we hadn't left. I told her I was waiting for a wheelchair in which she repleied "Oh no, you don't need one. You just walk out." That might be fine for some women but I had a pretty extensive episiotomy and was barely walking as it was. Once we got to the elevator I had to hand my daughter to my mom because I felt like I was going to pass out. It was ridiculous.

I do not have experience with the midwifes at Mount Aubrun but I ahve a friends who used there service & her babie;s cord was wrapped aound it's neck & they made her deliver vaginally & her baby passed away during delivery. & yes this can happen anywhere. I was not impressed with ther L&D floor or there obsterical floor eithe. I work in Ob gyn & was not happy with the facility

Hi A.-
I am pregnant with my first as well and I am using the midwives at Mt. Auburn. So far, I have had a very good experience there. I really like the staff and the midwives that I have met have all been terrific. I highly recommend them.

Good luck!
L. B.

I had a baby with the midwives at Mt Auburn in December, and overall it was a good experience. They wouldn't let me off the monitor for a second the entire labor because my baby was so chill (if you could see him now you'd understand why, the kid seriously never gets upset) and that was frustrating because I wanted to switch to a more comfortable monitor but apparently this was hospital policy. As another reader noted, you have no control over who delivers so it is problematic if you don't get along with one of the midwives. I had the one midwife I had never met before, and she turned out to be my favorite so I really lucked out. I wound up having a very different birth from what I had planned and I felt like they were pretty sympathetic when they were talking to me about changing birth plans.

I was sorry to hear about Lilah's experience. I was actually allowed to feed my baby before they even weighed him and he was in my sight the entire time - very different from what she experienced. I had really stressed that I wanted to have my baby in my sight, so that might explain the different experience there. I don't think wheelchairs are provided normally, but you should be able to request one if you feel like you need it.

I do think you have to be pretty proactive at Mt Auburn in stating how you want things to go or whoever is on shift will do things their way, and I think you do have to be pretty pushy about asking for help sometimes which can be frustrating. I do recommend the midwives overall, and Mt Auburn is a very nice hospital to deliver in. Definitely go to Meet the Midwives before you commit to getting care through them, and feel free to send me a message if you have more questions.

I had all three of my children at Mt. Auburn with the Midwives, 13, 11 and 6 years ago. The midwives are great, although they are different from each other. Some are more medical than others. Try to meet all of them during your pregnancy so you will be familiar with each when you have your baby. Write a detailed birth plan and discuss it with each midwife that you meet with. It's unfortunate that someone had the experience of having their baby taken out of the room to be "cleaned." This should not have happened. My second child had to go to the special care nursery for a couple of hours, but this was discussed thoroughly before he went and my partner stayed with him the whole time. The midwife and pediatrician came to see me a number of times during that time. My other two children never left my room without me or my partner. Being more knowledgeable with my third (thanks to experience and HypnoBirthing) I declined having her washed at all until the next day. Just be clear with the staff about what you want. Have a great birth,

J. (-: