Michele31

Can you tell me a little bit about the way it works with a midwife if you don't mind?
I've been thinking about this a lot and wonder if it's the way to go.
Please share your thoughts. Thanks

Of course I will share. First off, I got my midwife from Niha. She is also a great person to ask about this and so is Liz from LIW. She also uses a midwife.
A midwife is a certified ob nurse. Working with a midwife is more about the 'whole' patient, not just a medical condition. Midwives are known for trying holistic methods before jumping to medical technology BUT that does not mean I cannot have an epidural if I want one or that she doesn't use medication technology when needed. For instance, I still have ultrasounds. She gives me A LOT more time than a doctor's office. She explains things to me in detail, instead of just a quick explaniation.
Also, I know that she will be the one with me at the hospital, not just someone who is on call.

Thank You, I really like the sound of that. I want when my time comes for it to be a great experience the whole way through

I always knew I wanted to use a midwife for pregnancy and childbirth. Before conceiving I also saw a midwife for well-woman care (annual exams, etc.) I tend to view pregnancy and childbirth as a 'natural' event in a woman's life and do not feel that it is necessary to see them as a 'medical condition', as long as the woman is healthy and not high risk for anything. That's one reason why I'd rather see a MW than a MD. Like Michele said, good midwives treat a woman holistically, and often involve the husband and other kids in the process too. I think another way to explain the care of a midwife is that her 'bedside manner' is often better than a MDs. For example, my midwife spent 45 minutes on the phone with me the first time I called her before I even met her. And, each visit with her is no less than 1 hour, but more like 2 hours.

JMO, but I've met some other midwives in larger hospitals, and they were not what I was looking for, b/c I didn't think they representing a 'true' midwife. They were really just working under a Dr. and it didn't seem like I was going to be able to build a relationship with them the way I have with my MW.

Here's a link where you can get more info.
midwifery

Thanks, I will check your link

Question: Do you think they will talk to me even before I'm pregnant?
I don't plan on TTC for another year, but I like to plan early