The Big Switch

I never got a chance to post about my big switch so I'm taking a few minutes to tell you all about it : ).  As most of you already know I am planning to have a natural and unmedicated birth.  Yes, we've heard all the horror stories and seen the roll of the eyes whenever I or Oscar tell people about this.  The last few months have been very eye opening for us, specially learning all the unnecessary interventions pregnant women are subjected to.  One way we decided to help us avoid unnecessary interventions was by hiring a doula, which I mentioned a few posts back.  Our doulas are great.  We just took a six week Lamaze class with them and learned so much.  I had told them about the concerns I had with my OB and hospital and they suggested I look into a different practice. Since I had thought about switching early on in my pregnancy I thought this would be a good time to look into it since now I had a recommendation. 

I ended up having a consultation with the head midwife at an OB practice a little further south than where we live.  The consultation went very well.  I also spoke to some of the other midwives in the same practice over the phone and those conversations went very well also.  They pretty much agreed to my questions regarding natural childbirth!  Such a breath of fresh air!  We then went to a hospital tour of where they deliver (Princeton) and were blown away.  Its a small hospital and not a big city hospital like St. Peter's.  The staff respect the midwives that deliver there and know what midwife patients are looking for.  The best part (and you'll remember this from my tour at St. Peter's) is that they advocate skin to skin contact immediately after delivery.  The tour lady told us that the baby would need to go to the nursery for bathing, etc after about 2 hours after delivery and when I asked her if I could keep the baby with me for the entire time she wasn't really sure so we asked the head nurse (I am so glad she was available).  Sure enough the head nurse said that if the baby was not sick that I could keep him/her with me as long as I want!  The typical hospital  procedures (bathing, eye ointment, weighing, etc) can be done at my bedside.  Yay!!  I was so excited to hear that!  I just don't see the point of taking my newbown away if he/she does not need immediate medical attention and I'm glad they see it that way too.

The hospital tour really sealed the deal for me.  After talking it over with my darling husband I decided to make the switch.  Mind you, it was not an easy decision.  This thought process had been ongoing for several months and the last few weeks prior to switching I was wondering if I was making the right decision.  It took a few days for the switch to become final.  I had to pick up my records from my OB's office and drop them off at my new midwife's office.  They also had to check my insurance to make sure I would be covered.  Thankfully all worked out great and in a matter of 3-4 days I was confirmed as a new patient-- WOW!  This all happened at 32 weeks!  I was very reassured by the midwives that there would be plenty of time to meet all four of them from now until I give birth.  I am really, really happy with this decision.  I very much believe I am closer to getting the birth I want.  Many thanks to my ever supportive husband.  Without his support and belief in me that this is the best for us and our baby I don't know that I would have had the courage to switch practices so late in my pregnancy.  And thanks to all our friends and family who were also supportive of this decision!