Why I Switched from an OB-GYN to a Midwife

Pregnancy is such a wild ride in a woman’s life. While I had obviously heard from women about all of the changes that happen during pregnancy, I don’t think I really grasped it until I became pregnant myself. There is A LOT happening and the human body is pretty amazing!

What I’ve realized this year is that while many of us experience similar symptoms and changes, pregnancy is unique and personal to each woman. I think that rather than looking at prenatal healthcare with one clear-cut way to doing everything, it’s best to honor the individuality of the person creating the baby. That’s why a few months ago, I listened to my gut and switched from the standard Western medicine healthcare of an OB-GYN to a more holistic midwifery practice.

Most American women use an OB-GYN as their healthcare provider during pregnancy. In fact, 90% of them do, according to What to Expect. Today, I thought I’d share my experience with an OB-GYN practice and my reasoning in now entrusting the care of midwives. My hope is that this helps any women out there who are wondering what the differences may look like or are thinking of switching, and is a good read to anyone who is simply interested in pregnancy!

This is probably not a shocker coming from a healthy lifestyle blogger and someone who works in the health & wellness field, but I consider myself a super healthy person. Eating, moving, and thinking healthy are big priorities in my life. I had no prior health concerns and no issues conceiving. Being certified in holistic health coaching and a practicing yogi, I tend to lean on the natural side when it comes to healthcare. I believe in our power to heal our bodies by themselves when given the chance, use essential oils everyday and rarely take medicine.

The first time I set foot in my OB-GYN, I had high hopes for a positive experience. The practice consists of three OB-GYNs who are all mothers, and I liked this aspect. But I quickly realized that I felt like I was getting pushed around into doing every test and procedure possible at every appointment – even when I was vocalizing my feelings of not wanting to do some of them. I also felt like they did not appreciate me asking questions, which struck me as so odd. ‘Don’t they want their patients to be informed?’ I would wonder.

For instance, I had an ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy at 6 weeks. It was fun to see my poppyseed of a fetus in there! However, when they told me that they planned on doing two more ultrasounds in my first trimester at 10 and 12 weeks, I resisted. I didn’t see the need in doing a 10 week ultrasound – not to mention that it was costing me more than a pretty penny for the procedure until I reached my deductible.

This leads me to my next reason for leaving my OB-GYN practice: I felt as if their efforts were geared towards getting every dollar possible out of my insurance and me. I felt more like a number rather than a woman going through such a significant time in my life.

When I refused the 10 week ultrasound but went in for my a regular appointment, the OB-GYN (a doctor I hadn’t yet met) walked in with what I now know to be a handheld doppler. Without even asking if I wanted to hear the heartbeat via a doppler, she told me to move my pants down and stuck the machine on my uterus. We immediately heard a heartbeat, and she said something along the lines of, “Since you’re afraid of ultrasounds, I figured we’d try this. A lot of the time we can’t hear the heartbeat through a doppler this early, but since you’re thin you’re in luck.”

I think all I could manage was to stare back in response. Scared of ultrasounds? I’m having another one in only two weeks! 

This is pretty much how every appointment I had with this OB-GYN went, and I would leave feeling annoyed at the practice instead of excited about my pregnancy. I could probably come up with a dozen more similar examples in the short months that I was with the practice as my healthcare provider. I was already starting to think of switching to a more natural-minded practice, but the last straw was when the OB-GYN’s front desk staff kept pressuring me into making an appointment over a month away. I kept expressing that because I was starting new work, my schedule was changing, and I would call within a few weeks to make an appointment. They pressured me in person as well as called me and left numerous voicemails while I was on vacation. Feeling exasperated, I finally lost my patience and said, “I will make an appointment when I’m ready to make an appointment!”

That appointment was never made, because I quickly found out that the only midwifery practice in Connecticut was covered under my insurance. So far, switching to their practice has been such a positive decision for me. I feel like I trust their judgment, versus the OB-GYN, where I started questioning everything because I honestly didn’t believe that they were considering me as an individual.

Something struck me at my first midwifery center appointment: Instead of rushing around in a preoccupied manner, the midwife sat down across from me, smiled, and said, “So how are you feeling? Do you have any questions?”

She stared at me intently waiting to discuss my pregnancy concerns, and all I could think was, ‘Wow. What a difference!’ I realized that the OB-GYNs had never really asked the simple question of how I was doing.

I have the option of delivering my baby at the midwifery center, which is literally a stone’s throw away from the hospital, or delivering at the actual hospital. At the hospital, women can work exclusively with the midwives and have a baby au naturale, but have the peace of mind in being in a hospital setting. Mamas can also elect to get an epidural, which one of the doctors that the midwifery practice specifically works with would perform. As much as I love the midwifery center’s homey, B&B-like vibes, I think that the former will be a good balance of Western options and more natural-minded thinking for me.

My mindset towards pregnancy is that women were built for it. We have been doing it since the beginning of humankind. While current guidelines and standard practices have helped to lessen rates of maternal deaths and instances of miscarriages and stillborn births – though American women are still dying at much higher rates than other industrialized nations, mostly due to poor lifestyle choices and lack of access to prenatal care – I also believe in listening to my body and following my gut. I take many of the “rules” of pregnancy with a grain of salt and practice common sense. I like relying on a healthcare practice that shares my mentality and errs on the side of less intervention, not as many as possible.

To sum it up, I think that the type of prenatal care you go with is very much up to your health circumstances and personality. If you’re someone who would be more comfortable having everything possible checked up on, then you’ll probably want an OB-GYN. If you’re more laid-back and natural like me, you might want to consider a midwifery practice, or you could elect to use an OB-GYN in combination with a doula for support. If you’re a high-risk pregnancy, it might be a smarter choice to go with an OB-GYN; if you’re low-risk as I’ve been, a midwife might suit you better.

I also want to mention that I do understand that not all OB-GYN practices are like the one I’ve talked about here. If I still lived in San Diego, where the lifestyle is more natural and health-conscious, I might very well be using an OB-GYN. However, I also have dealt with several OB-GYN practices throughout my life that aren’t what I’d prefer for delivering a baby, so there is a pattern I’ve personally experienced.

So far, I’m happy with my midwifery center, and I’ll be sure to provide an update post-delivery come late summer!

Tell me… Parents, did you/your partner use an OB-GYN, midwife, doula, etc? Any  questions for me?