13 Reasons why I prefer Midwifery Care:

1. Prenatal Visits are often long, because midwives take the time to really discuss things with you.Time spent in the waiting room is usually very short.My midwife treated my husband like he was a critical person in planning our birth. My ob/gyns often treated my husband as though he was insignificant, to say the least.My midwife was just as eager to answer any questions and concerns that he had, as she was to help me.

2.During labor,my midwife encouraged me to eat and drink.This gave me a lot of endurance and energy, though I was tired.


3.My midwife let my have an intervention-free labor and delivery. There was no iv, electronic fetal monitor, or drugs of any sort to interfere with my baby's birth.


4.My midwife believes that birth is a natural process, not a medical procedure. Therefore, she let everything occur naturally. Her actions follow her beliefs.

5. She encouraged me to utilize several different positions during labor. She let me stay vertical, which helps speed labor by at least 28%. If I had been stuck in a bed, I am certain that my labor would have been much longer.


6.She came to my residence when I was in labor, rather than me riding in my van (which always tended to make me puke while in labor) to go to the hospital.


7. She remained during the entire labor and delivery and for a few hours, postpartum. There were no shift changes nor did she just come for the last 5 minutes, to catch the baby, and leave.I was her only focus during those 12 hours that she was there for my labor and delivery.

8.She was as "hands on" or as "hands off" as I wanted her to be.My first internal was during labor! Woohoo!Also, when the baby was born, I got to nurse her and hold her, right away. She weighed and measured the baby only when I was ready.For the first time after birth, I truly felt like my baby belonged to me, rather than the hospital. (The way they always whisked my babies away.)

9.She lets you invite as few or as many people to your birth, as you want.(There will be no medical interns wanting to observe a homebirth.) If I ever want my other children there, she is supportive of that, as well.

10.Rather than making mama and baby leave the home during the early postpartum time, most midwives make home visits on days 1, 3, and 7.

11.My midwife was extremely patient, even when my labor seemed to stall for quite some time! When I was tired, she just encouraged me to rest on my side for a while, and then to walk.

12.For complete and utter freedom in choosing laboring and birthing positions and locations. (tub, shower, floor, bed,birth stool, squatting,kneeling,)

13.When I first spoke with my midwife, I was worried that I could not handle the pain of natural birth. But she gave me a confidence that all would be well, and that I could do it. She never wavered, no matter how worrisome I was. She is a great blessing to me.

Anyone who has experienced natural birth, particularly in a home setting, is forever changed by the experience. Having had 2 hospital births prior to my homebirth, I was utterly amazed at how much I prefer birthing at home. My midwife is also very knowledgeable about what a true birthing emergency is, and she would guide us to the hospital if that was ever necessary.(She would stay with us through the birth.) I am grateful that I live relatively close to a hospital, if there was a true complication, but for a normal, healthy birth, I always want to birth at home.Blessings!