I’ve been craving change. Do you ever do that? I start to change things around the house. Just shop our own rooms and switch it all up. This time, the need was going a little deeper, and I wanted to have a midwife instead of an OB. It wasn’t going to be that easy since I had been with the same doctor for 11 years. When I first called the OB’s office a couple weeks after the positive pregnancy test, they informed me that the doctor was only in clinic once a week, and it would be very difficult to get regular visits. This is why, providentially, I made an appointment with a midwife.

I have been seeing her since the beginning of this pregnancy, and I couldn’t be happier about the switch from OB to midwife! The main, right-off-the-bat benefits were her personal touch and feeling like I was in a welcoming place to make choices. Since the first visit, I’ve always felt at ease and comfortable.

At the midwife appointment, we talk about my pregnancies, previous deliveries, and how the children can’t wait to meet the new babe. We also laugh sometimes because Nathan doesn’t find amusement in all my novel discoveries about birthing methods or bouncing on a giant lime-colored ball : ) I have my blood pressure checked and we listen to the baby’s heartbeat. I love that she also feels my belly and knows just the way the baby is resting in my abdomen.

I only see her every six weeks, and I always leave her office reassured and confident. The visit never seems confrontational or that I’m answering an interrogation about my swelling, sleep posture, diet, or weight-gain. Just in case I am giving the wrong impression, my OB was fabulous, but still the differences are quite stark.

Right after I met my midwife back in early spring, I said to Nathan that this was a much needed change – a breath of fresh air. Overall, I felt so free. But I also quickly acknowledged that this was the right time. I don’t think I would have appreciated this relaxed environment with my first pregnancy. I needed the structure, the questionnaires, and the pamphlets with lists of do-s and don’t-s.

Hoping my experience so far might help if you’re considering having a midwife.

Do you have any insight on the differences between an OB and a midwife? I would love to hear your opinion!

with love, Damaris