? about midwives

I have a co-worker who's wife is pregnant and due any day. Every time he comes into work after an appointment with the midwife it's like he knows less and less than the time before. He never knows how much the baby weights, he never knows if his wife is dialated or effaced, and he knows even less about the birthing process (don't even get me started). Granted, he is not very assertive and dosen't ask many questions, but I have anxiety for him!!! My question is, when someone sees a midwife, does the midwife check for dialtion, effacement, or weight of the baby at the weekly exams 4 weeks before the due date???

Re: ? about midwives

My sister's friend used a midwife and gave birth at home. From what I understand she check the dilation and effacement. I believe that midwives also measure the belly for the baby's size and from what I've read, many of them are as accurate or more accurate than the sonogram machines.

My DH never kept track of any of that stuff and I used a regular OBGYN, so it's possible it's just her DH not paying attention. Plus even with all of those measurements, you still can't necessarily predict when a baby will come. There are so many stories of women leaving their Dr's offc after being told nothing was going on and then going into labor that night.

Re: ? about midwives

Re: ? about midwives

Most midwives do not start doing internal exams until you are in labor. Checking for dilation and effacement a month before you are due is medically unecessary. How many women are 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced and go like this for weeks? Checking for dilation and effacement before labor begins is not a indicator of when you will go into labor. Most midwives feel that the less invasive the better. Every time someone "checks you" you are at increased risk for infection, cervical irritation and premature rupture of membranes.

As for measuring the size of the baby, a modwife will measure the belly and estimate the babys weight using that method. As we have seen on teh boards sonograms are extremely unreliable for determining estimated weight. So many times they estimate the baby to be extremely large 9+lbs and the baby is born around 7

As for the lack of knowledge, I think that is more of a problem with your co-worker than anything else. My midwife appointments usually last about 1.5 hours EVERY SINGLE TIME.......the first 15 minutes we talk about how i've been feeling and any questions I may have, the next 30 minutes is checking me and the baby and the remaining 45 minutes the midwife discusses with us a topic, each appointment is different. THe midwife will cover topics such as breast feeding, sex and intimacy during pregnancy, emotional changes, family dynamic changes, the birthing process etc.

THeir theory is that their job is not just to help deliver a healthy baby while keeping mom and baby healthy but to educate the family unitl as a whole to help make the transition into parenhood easier.......................

Re: ? about midwives

I used a midwifeI didn't have an internal until I requested one at 40 weeks.. I only had 2 internals during labor,one to make sure I was dialted enough to go in the birthing pool and the other to make sure I was close to pushing.

She estimated my baby's weight but she was off by over a pound (she said 7lb4oz but he was 8lb8oz).

Its not like midwives are incompetent, they just have a different way of doing things than doctors.

Re: ? about midwives

Thanks for your feedback girls!!! I agree that using midwive can be wonderful, if that is the decision you and the baby's father have made. I was just wondering what the process is because it seems different than what I'm used to with my OBGYN.

Additionally, I agree that my co-worker's lack of knowledge is his fault and his not asking questions. I don't think that it has anything to do with the midwife.

Re: ? about midwives

Using a midwife is very different than using a doctor, I only saw midwives throughout my pregnancy and I only met the doctor whose care I was under when my son was being checked out of the hospital. Midwifery to me not about pregnancy being a medical condition, which in my opinion, it is treated as too often today. I don't believe that midwives do as many tests and stuff as your OBGYN might do. In my experience, midwifery was wonderful because the women I saw knew what I was going through, they treated me like a woman, not like a patient, and I liked that.

Re: ? about midwives

Like the others said, growth sonos and early internals actually yeild no useful information, so most midwives skip them.

Frankly, it does you no good to know you've been dialated for 2 weeks -- you're just as likely to go overdue as someone who isn't dialated at all. All it does is set expectations ("oh, I'm going early" or "oh, no I'm going to have to be induced") that are not grounded in reality. Same with the growth sonos ("oh, no I'm never going to be able to deliver this kid, he's sooo big").