I 100% plan on using a midwife. I just saw my sister and sister-in-law go through having babies at hospitals. They treat it more like a "disease" or "medical condition" than the natural course of life. It seemed like everything they were allowed to charge you for, they did it. My sister-in-law went 2 days over her due date and the doctor basically forced her into getting induced. The labor went way too fast as soon as the IV was administered. She ended up having a C-section because the pitocin made the contractions too strong, they worried they were stressing the baby and other complications started happening. Her baby was born very underweight and slightly underdeveloped (he caught up right away and is perfectly healthy now.) The doctor even said if they waited at least a week more, everything probably would have went smoother and he could have been a little more developed. She had to stay in the hospital for 5 days after that. My sister was lucky enough to be in labor for about 7 hours, had a relatively small but healthy baby. She kept telling them she wanted to do it without an epidural and she was doing AMAZING until one nurse came in and guilted her into getting one because "when you're stressed, the baby is stressed. We can get this over with sooner if you get the epidural." She still had to stay in the hospital for 4 days. She had zero complications, the baby has zero complications; she still had to stay in the hospital almost as long as my sister-in-law who had major surgery and her baby had to be in an incubator for 2 days. My sister was going stir crazy but they refused to release her even though they only checked on her or the baby a handful of times. My best friend used a midwife a few years ago and that process seemed way less stressful. She was considered "high risk" for a few reasons and still had to do less tests and ultrasounds than my perfectly healthy sisters. Even with her bleeding disorder, the delivery went a lot smoother with a midwife who cared more about her patients than her paycheck. There were only a few times her midwife had her go to a doctor's office during her pregnancy, but only because she had some preexisting problems before getting pregnant.
Hello Tiffany, Thank you for yoru comment. I'm really sorry to hear about your sister's and sister-in-law's experiences. The birth of your baby is one of the most memorable times in your life, and it's really heartbreaking when it ends up being a negative experience. I'm wondering if your sister-in-law had some risk factors for needing an induction like low amniotic fluid, growth restriction of baby or rupture of membranes? Either way I'm happy to hear baby is perfectly healthy now. Epidurals are a very controversial topic. From experience, if a laboring mother is in a lot of pain and not coping well, their body is very tense and can have trouble dilating. And epidural can allow those tense muscles to relax, which can allow the cervix to dilate easier. Baby's can also become stressed if the mother is in so much pain that they are not breathing properly. I'm sorry to hear that your sister's wishes were not respected and she had to stay in hospital for so long. I hope in the future you have a wonderful birthing experience!
Thanks, your comment is very helpful to me. I began to get the sense that the hospitals I visited were treating me like a business to make money from than the Midwife I know who just wants me to deliver my baby safely.
what tests did your sisters have to do??? I've done a few blood tests (but I have tachycardia and a history of low potassium). I've had the a CF and spina bifida screen and an ultrasound, blood typing, herpes testing (at my request), the normal urine tests to check for protein, sugar and bacteria, BP checks, weight checks, fundal height measurement, hearing the heartbeat and that's it. I will get the OGTT and rhogam shot (because I'm RH neg) and my iron levels will be checked, but other than that that's absolutely it. ANd most of those you should be doing with a midwife as well, the only ones you may not do is the genetic testing of the fetus and of course the herpes test unless you suspect you have genital herpes, then please insist on the test.
I could not agree more with this. I have 4 older sisters & 3 did hospital births & 1 did a natural at home water birth. With everyone of my sister's who went to the hospital, they forced labor on them & treated the mother's like their own bodies don't know what to do!!! It infuriated me. My sister with the home birth went so smoothly, naturally and cost 1/3 of the price!!!!
Thank you for sharing these stories. I was c section and I believe it caused some of my health problems. Her baby can be totally healthy still, but it prevents the complete formation of the baby’s gut microbiome, among other things. c sections are just one of the most common procedures done in hospitals and really are most often not necessary when you consider the side effects. The thought of not having autonomy during my birth is just... well it’s not happening lol. I plan to hire a midwife as well.
Obgyn’s have to see patients on a very tight schedule, and are limited in what they will offer as “treatment”. So much of what obgyn’s end up doing is disempowering, traumatic, and even damaging. I’m not in any way against allopathic medicine, but I do think it’s important to make sure that we don’t limit our perspectives in a potentially harmful way. For example, nutrition during pregnancy is shown to be one of the most important factors in determining health of the baby and an easy birth. Yet most doctors are not aware of this and just tell women to take a junk prenatal. It’s always most beneficial for the patient to look at the cause of an ailment instead of trying to cover up or remove the symptom, and yet these are so often the only options offered from allopathic medicine. There aren’t very many women out there who can say that their obgyn helped them with their problem. There are many who can say that they made it worse. Being a doctor can mean that you’re well rounded and knowledgeable in many healing modalities, but most of the time it doesn’t. You will need to study beyond medical school to be a good doctor. I think a registered nurse midwife is a good option.
Midwives, just like doctors vary in their skill. For me, first one had little to no skills and zero knowledge, was lazy and I almost died bc of it. The next one was compassionate, skilled and everything you can ever ask for in a midwife. She literally did everything to make things smooth and comfortable, so helpful, sweet and knowledgeable, I wish she was my midwife for all 3. Third one was experienced, but lacked empathy, cold, ignored my wishes and kept trying to force me to do things her way, bad mouthing me, made it a really awful experience. 😔 If you’re going with a midwife, trusting your instincts will be beneficial. My initial feelings about all 3 were proven right at the end.
This was a very nuanced and informative video. I like how there was no "right" answer but highlights of the pros and cons based on your individual needs.
Thanks for this video. Overall it was informative but I do feel like it might be a bit biased towards hospital births, as there are many negatives to this option that aren’t discussed.
Thanks for your feedback. I would also agree with you. I am definitely biased as I was a labour and delivery nurse in a hospital as well as have not had or ever been to a home delivery. I should have announced my biases, thank you for pointing that out.
I have an OB, in my country you have to have an OB it's illegal to have a midwife up to a couple years ago. But I chose an OB because I have tachycardia and genital herpes and would feel safer in the hands of an OB because of the tachycardia and the possibility for needing a C section since I have genital herpes. But had I not had those things I'd def go with a midwife.
Would a midwife see me if I have sch I’m so tired of the er and how awful the doctors are when something does come up. I need someone who is more involved with my pregnancy and my baby and not someone who looks at her like a medical problem.
Hello Raye, Sorry to hear about your SCH! I hope things improve for you! I can’t say for sure that a midwife can be the primary care provider for you this pregnancy but I would definitely call around and ask. I would hope that you could see a midwife and they would provide most of the essential care for you and your baby and then consult an OB for your SCH. Stay strong and get lots of rest! I hope you have lots of support around you ❤️
i doubt it, sounds like that'll make you high risk and a midwife isn't qualified to take care of high risk patients, they specialise in low risk births.
That's hilarious considering I ended up with an abusive dismissive midwife who forced me to breastfeed and refused to give me pain medication. She also did a cervical exam without my permission and pressured me into it
Do pregnancy health care providers who do not force you to do pelvic exams exist? I am burdened so deeply with the thought I having to go through that with a stranger &I worry this distressing experience will effect my long term mental health. I can't help but think I'd feel violated . Which I would.
Hi Shauntea, Thank you for your comment. I don’t think they exist. From a health perspective it is important to be tested for STI’s and cervical cancer early in pregnancy as these impact your health and the health of your baby. I hear your fears. You are not the only lady having this same question and apprehension. My suggestion is to make an appointment with a midwife just to get to know each other. Midwives are all about building personal relationships with their clients. That way you can scope out how your feel about them and talk more about your concerns. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
The correct answer here is that you have something called bodily autonomy... and you don’t have to consent to anything that you don’t want. More people need to know this. Your bodily autonomy/integrity supersede any recommendation. ALWAYS.
Pelvic exams are important. I have PTSD and work with a therapist, so I can cope just fine with the exams. Exposure therapy helps a lot, actually. I got a feeling this was coming from a place of past bad experiences.
No Practitioner should ever “force” you to do anything. If you’re not comfortable with a recommended exam or procedure, a provider should work with you to establish the safest plan of care within your comfort zone. Pelvic exams can be totally traumatic.
Hi! In Canada, the education for 3-4 year midwifery training is very different from obstetrician training (4 year undergraduate +med school + 5 year residency).
I m a doctor. I m conducting normal delieveries , antenatal checkups, postnatal checkups. From last 5 years. M I eligible to work and get registration in Australia
Which did you choose, a Midwife or Doctor? Let me know!
Awesome video, very informative! We chose a doctor, but did consider a midwife. Hopefully this helps others make their decision.
Im happy you enjoyed it!
I hope so too! Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the video very informative.
Midwife!
A lot of times when you actually deliver, the doctor you wanted isn't on call and you still end up with a stranger.
I 100% plan on using a midwife.
I just saw my sister and sister-in-law go through having babies at hospitals. They treat it more like a "disease" or "medical condition" than the natural course of life. It seemed like everything they were allowed to charge you for, they did it.
My sister-in-law went 2 days over her due date and the doctor basically forced her into getting induced. The labor went way too fast as soon as the IV was administered. She ended up having a C-section because the pitocin made the contractions too strong, they worried they were stressing the baby and other complications started happening. Her baby was born very underweight and slightly underdeveloped (he caught up right away and is perfectly healthy now.) The doctor even said if they waited at least a week more, everything probably would have went smoother and he could have been a little more developed. She had to stay in the hospital for 5 days after that.
My sister was lucky enough to be in labor for about 7 hours, had a relatively small but healthy baby. She kept telling them she wanted to do it without an epidural and she was doing AMAZING until one nurse came in and guilted her into getting one because "when you're stressed, the baby is stressed. We can get this over with sooner if you get the epidural." She still had to stay in the hospital for 4 days. She had zero complications, the baby has zero complications; she still had to stay in the hospital almost as long as my sister-in-law who had major surgery and her baby had to be in an incubator for 2 days. My sister was going stir crazy but they refused to release her even though they only checked on her or the baby a handful of times.
My best friend used a midwife a few years ago and that process seemed way less stressful. She was considered "high risk" for a few reasons and still had to do less tests and ultrasounds than my perfectly healthy sisters. Even with her bleeding disorder, the delivery went a lot smoother with a midwife who cared more about her patients than her paycheck. There were only a few times her midwife had her go to a doctor's office during her pregnancy, but only because she had some preexisting problems before getting pregnant.
Hello Tiffany,
Thank you for yoru comment. I'm really sorry to hear about your sister's and sister-in-law's experiences. The birth of your baby is one of the most memorable times in your life, and it's really heartbreaking when it ends up being a negative experience. I'm wondering if your sister-in-law had some risk factors for needing an induction like low amniotic fluid, growth restriction of baby or rupture of membranes? Either way I'm happy to hear baby is perfectly healthy now.
Epidurals are a very controversial topic. From experience, if a laboring mother is in a lot of pain and not coping well, their body is very tense and can have trouble dilating. And epidural can allow those tense muscles to relax, which can allow the cervix to dilate easier. Baby's can also become stressed if the mother is in so much pain that they are not breathing properly. I'm sorry to hear that your sister's wishes were not respected and she had to stay in hospital for so long. I hope in the future you have a wonderful birthing experience!
Thanks, your comment is very helpful to me. I began to get the sense that the hospitals I visited were treating me like a business to make money from than the Midwife I know who just wants me to deliver my baby safely.
what tests did your sisters have to do??? I've done a few blood tests (but I have tachycardia and a history of low potassium). I've had the a CF and spina bifida screen and an ultrasound, blood typing, herpes testing (at my request), the normal urine tests to check for protein, sugar and bacteria, BP checks, weight checks, fundal height measurement, hearing the heartbeat and that's it. I will get the OGTT and rhogam shot (because I'm RH neg) and my iron levels will be checked, but other than that that's absolutely it. ANd most of those you should be doing with a midwife as well, the only ones you may not do is the genetic testing of the fetus and of course the herpes test unless you suspect you have genital herpes, then please insist on the test.
I could not agree more with this. I have 4 older sisters & 3 did hospital births & 1 did a natural at home water birth. With everyone of my sister's who went to the hospital, they forced labor on them & treated the mother's like their own bodies don't know what to do!!! It infuriated me. My sister with the home birth went so smoothly, naturally and cost 1/3 of the price!!!!
Thank you for sharing these stories. I was c section and I believe it caused some of my health problems. Her baby can be totally healthy still, but it prevents the complete formation of the baby’s gut microbiome, among other things. c sections are just one of the most common procedures done in hospitals and really are most often not necessary when you consider the side effects. The thought of not having autonomy during my birth is just... well it’s not happening lol. I plan to hire a midwife as well.
Oh crap I came here cuz im trying to decide if I want to study to become an obgyn or a midwife 😄
sameee
Same
Same 😂
Same!
Obgyn’s have to see patients on a very tight schedule, and are limited in what they will offer as “treatment”. So much of what obgyn’s end up doing is disempowering, traumatic, and even damaging. I’m not in any way against allopathic medicine, but I do think it’s important to make sure that we don’t limit our perspectives in a potentially harmful way. For example, nutrition during pregnancy is shown to be one of the most important factors in determining health of the baby and an easy birth. Yet most doctors are not aware of this and just tell women to take a junk prenatal. It’s always most beneficial for the patient to look at the cause of an ailment instead of trying to cover up or remove the symptom, and yet these are so often the only options offered from allopathic medicine. There aren’t very many women out there who can say that their obgyn helped them with their problem. There are many who can say that they made it worse. Being a doctor can mean that you’re well rounded and knowledgeable in many healing modalities, but most of the time it doesn’t. You will need to study beyond medical school to be a good doctor. I think a registered nurse midwife is a good option.
Midwives, just like doctors vary in their skill.
For me, first one had little to no skills and zero knowledge, was lazy and I almost died bc of it.
The next one was compassionate, skilled and everything you can ever ask for in a midwife. She literally did everything to make things smooth and comfortable, so helpful, sweet and knowledgeable, I wish she was my midwife for all 3.
Third one was experienced, but lacked empathy, cold, ignored my wishes and kept trying to force me to do things her way, bad mouthing me, made it a really awful experience. 😔
If you’re going with a midwife, trusting your instincts will be beneficial. My initial feelings about all 3 were proven right at the end.
midwifery is help women to have a safe motherhood and midwife can be OBGYN if she want to continue learning in University as I KNOW
This was a very nuanced and informative video. I like how there was no "right" answer but highlights of the pros and cons based on your individual needs.
Thank you Theresa, I appreciate the positive feedback.
Thanks for this video. Overall it was informative but I do feel like it might be a bit biased towards hospital births, as there are many negatives to this option that aren’t discussed.
Thanks for your feedback. I would also agree with you. I am definitely biased as I was a labour and delivery nurse in a hospital as well as have not had or ever been to a home delivery. I should have announced my biases, thank you for pointing that out.
I have an OB, in my country you have to have an OB it's illegal to have a midwife up to a couple years ago. But I chose an OB because I have tachycardia and genital herpes and would feel safer in the hands of an OB because of the tachycardia and the possibility for needing a C section since I have genital herpes. But had I not had those things I'd def go with a midwife.
Wishing you a healthy pregnancy!
Very well explained👍🏻
Thank you so much! I appreciate your feedback!
Would a midwife see me if I have sch I’m so tired of the er and how awful the doctors are when something does come up. I need someone who is more involved with my pregnancy and my baby and not someone who looks at her like a medical problem.
Hello Raye,
Sorry to hear about your SCH! I hope things improve for you! I can’t say for sure that a midwife can be the primary care provider for you this pregnancy but I would definitely call around and ask. I would hope that you could see a midwife and they would provide most of the essential care for you and your baby and then consult an OB for your SCH. Stay strong and get lots of rest! I hope you have lots of support around you ❤️
i doubt it, sounds like that'll make you high risk and a midwife isn't qualified to take care of high risk patients, they specialise in low risk births.
That's hilarious considering I ended up with an abusive dismissive midwife who forced me to breastfeed and refused to give me pain medication. She also did a cervical exam without my permission and pressured me into it
Do pregnancy health care providers who do not force you to do pelvic exams exist? I am burdened so deeply with the thought I having to go through that with a stranger &I worry this distressing experience will effect my long term mental health. I can't help but think I'd feel violated . Which I would.
Hi Shauntea,
Thank you for your comment.
I don’t think they exist. From a health perspective it is important to be tested for STI’s and cervical cancer early in pregnancy as these impact your health and the health of your baby.
I hear your fears. You are not the only lady having this same question and apprehension. My suggestion is to make an appointment with a midwife just to get to know each other. Midwives are all about building personal relationships with their clients. That way you can scope out how your feel about them and talk more about your concerns. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Pelvic exams when you see a doctor in general for gynecology care?? No, that's an important part of a check up.
The correct answer here is that you have something called bodily autonomy... and you don’t have to consent to anything that you don’t want. More people need to know this. Your bodily autonomy/integrity supersede any recommendation. ALWAYS.
Pelvic exams are important. I have PTSD and work with a therapist, so I can cope just fine with the exams. Exposure therapy helps a lot, actually. I got a feeling this was coming from a place of past bad experiences.
No Practitioner should ever “force” you to do anything. If you’re not comfortable with a recommended exam or procedure, a provider should work with you to establish the safest plan of care within your comfort zone. Pelvic exams can be totally traumatic.
Hello.
If I opt for midwifery as career choice, can I do advance studies as a doctor ?
Do I need to redo med school ?
Please reply.
Hi! In Canada, the education for 3-4 year midwifery training is very different from obstetrician training (4 year undergraduate +med school + 5 year residency).
Hello I'm new here. Thank you for sharing
Hello there! Thanks so much, I’m glad you enjoyed it. Did you have any questions?
Me midwife
Awesome video!
Thank you! I hope it taught you something you didn’t know 😁
I m a doctor. I m conducting normal delieveries , antenatal checkups, postnatal checkups. From last 5 years. M I eligible to work and get registration in Australia
Im not a doctor, I’m a nurse so I do not know. Canadian Nurses are able the work in Australia with a valid registration, no exam required.
@@thebellyblossom4802 ok thankyou
@@thebellyblossom4802 what country are you from? I live in Australia. We have a lot of overseas doctors here