What is the difference with a midwife?

Wow, Lots of questions.

I had an OB for my first pregnancy and Midwives for my next two.

The perks for me of having a midwife were, I was listened to. My appointments were an hour long instead of 3 minutes, I had someone who didn’t want to push technology on me when something as simple as a change in diet could do the same thing.

My insurance covered my midwives. You would need to check with your own insurance to see who they cover.

Midwifery care is generally cheaper than getting an OB.

Midwives do both home and hospital births.

There are two types of midwives.

Certified nurse midwives are nurses with additional training. They primarily work in hospitals and birthing centers, and your prenatal care/birth would be quite similar to that with an OB, though midwives do tend to be more supportive of natural births, and spend more time with their clients. Some practices have both OBs and midwives, and you might see both at various times.

Lay/direct entry midwives are not nurses. THey are women who train by apprenticeship with an experienced midwife. They view birth as a natural process, and their role as one of support and assistance. Lay midwives normally attend home births. So far as I’m aware, no hospitals allow them to attend a hospital birth.

In either case, if complications would develop anytime during pregnancy or labor, where it was clear to the midwife that the woman needs the care of a physician, you would be referred to one and/or transferred to a hospital.

Most insurance companies cover care by CNMs, but not lay midwives. You’d have to call around to find out what local midwives charge if you’re interested in a home birth, but they ARE less expensive than an uninsured hospital birth.

Pros? More personalized care, a more natural birth experience … if that’s what you want.

Cons? If your plan is to ‘get the epidural’ the moment you walk through the door, or be induced when you get tired of being pregnant, a midwife is unlikely to meet your needs.

So… decide what sort of birth you want, then choose accordingly.