Would you give birth in a midwifery led unit?

[BellyBelly]

Following on from this Obstetrician's comment:

"As for the mothers themselves, a study of women in Victoria (by the Victorian Government) concluded that only 10 per cent of women preferred the midwife-led option. This does not justify the use of taxpayers' money for a scheme that most parents do not want". -- Dr Pieter Mourik, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, Wodonga

If you had a choice, would you choose to give birth in a midwifery led unit (where there is emergency transport available and hospital closeby), or would you prefer an obstetric model of care? I wonder if 10% is reflective of the BellyBelly membership?

[SaraJane]

Yes, I would!! I am really really hoping I get to!! Have applied for both the RBWH birth centre and the Ipswich Midwifery Group Practice

[Tanstar]

I definately would do this. This is the reason with both pregnancies that I have chosen midwife care VS Ob care. Ob's are trained surgeons and if at any time in my pregnancies baby or I were found to need specialised care then I would pay for an Ob(no private cover) but seeing as I don't then I would love to have this option and have gone for the next best thing.
Kel- it would be interesting to see where and who they sourced their 10% from. I doubt it will be reflected here on BB because we are all so educated and empowered thanks to yours truly!

[DoubleDee268]

I've booked in for the FBC at the Angliss Hospital in Upper Ferntree Gully - this is my first baby and I've only heard great things about midwife care

[Jodi]

I voted yes. When I had both my girls (at Cairns Base Hospital) there was no Obstetrician in sight. The midwives did everything, and they did a fantastic job.

[tali]

Considering I have only ever had midwives deliever all three of my bubs I would LOVE to go somewhere where they could get on with what they are best at.... If I knew there was a hospital just around the corner if I needed it then I wouldnt have a problem going to them instead...

Me too Jodi I was lucky enough to have nurse Kelly deliver both my girls I think she is the best.... If I could I would go up there to have my 4th ( when we get UTD) just to have her again....

[Lisa]

Funny thing is that among my group of friends... most have chosen independent midwives for their 2nd and so on babies after having their first babies with an obstetrician, and all of my friends will never, ever pay for the "services" of an ob again.
I will never pay for the "services" of an obstetrician

[Bathsheba]

Well I HAVE given birth (and received antinatal care in) a Midwifery Care Unit: Monash Birth Centre. In the end I had a complication but it was no drama getting in an Ob. I would highly recommend it. However I think this centre is now closed I gave birth to my first child there in 1994.

[Kazbah]

I wanted to, but DH is a little paranoid. And the Angliss has a 24-hour discharge thingy and we really needed more time in hospy to adapt.

We paid for an OB and he missed the birth!

[Trish]

I voted yes, but of course my true choosen one would be a government funded homebirth midwife.

Next to that, a midwifery led unit would be great.

For a healthy person who is expecting a healthy baby I do not see the value in wasting my money on an OB. (not saying this is for all, but to me it's a waste) Midwives do more of the work, get less of the pay and gratification.

Fund more midwives so women can have a better standard of care!!

[AJP]

in a heartbeat!

[ll80]

I'm going through midwife care at the moment and couldn't be happier with it.

[Oshani]

A HUGE YES from me!!

When I was pregnant with Oscar I went through the Midwives clinic at the hospital and they were amazing. They were amazing the whole way through my birth too, however the Dr intervened and pushed for intervention which I believe was unneccessary at that stage.

A girlfriend of mine went through the Family Birthing Unit at the same hospital and loved it. She had amazing care and loved no pressure of intervention. If only I wasn't induced I could have been in there too!

[gobblygook]

I would love to but they wouldn't let me last time. At any rate never saw a dr during my births anyway.

I prefer homebirth to hosp birth. Freebirth even better.

[butterfly_warrior]

Have to say I'm extremely undecided.

I'd like to be confident enough in things going normally and without complications to be able to want to go totally through midwife care... But with all the complications and problems we've encountered in getting pregnant and staying pregnant, I'm stuck in the situation where I'm more comfortable with specialist medical care.

BW

[kungfubecca]

Ahh, Yes!!

I had a great experience, and there were doctors lurking about (insisting on doing internal exams pft) but there was no doctor present for the actual birth, just 2 midwives (during shift change) and a student midwife. Although I was in a public hospital I count my blessings that it was a quite day, because although I was induced in the end (much to my disgust) I was able to have telemetry monitoring, and was allowed to labour kneeling and birth bent over a bean bag.

It wasn't 100% ideal, but I was very happy with the outcome. I was one of the few people at our baby school reunion that didn't have a bad experience.

So a shout out to Belly Belly for helping me stay informed about my options.

[Night Goddess]

Give me homebirth!
Paid for an OB last time and paid for it in more ways than one.
Gets my goat that you are never told there's an alternative!! As soon as a GP confirmd your pregnancy and knows you have private cover they immediately say - which OB are you going with? *RAGE*

[tali]

I think you have hit the nail on the head there BW... I think they might have just survayed First time mums I think as a 1st timer or a mum who has had complcations you would feel safer in the hospital enviroment but those of us who have been there a few time have learned to trust the friendly Midwives and trust they will do the best for us.... So that is why I would go to a centre run by them because I KNOW what a great job they have done in the past and would trust them completly....