Discussions

I had a ob/gyn for my last pregnancy and am wondering about a midwife for next time. Can someone tell me the difference between the two? Does the midwife offer more support during pregnancy and after? If so, how much?  
 
Also can you still get an epidural when you have a midwife? I know they can't give it to you, I am just wondering if they are against it

I've had 1 baby with an OB, and 3 with the midwives. There is no cost for midwives as they are part of our provincial health-care system.  
 
Midwives are specialists in normal, low-risk pregnancies and childbirth. They spend more time with you than the OB, and provide more personalized support. Most appointments are an hour long, and at the end of some of my pregnancies when I needed more careful monitoring they were even popping by my house to take my blood pressure, etc. These women become your friends, and I always found it sad when I had to discharged at 6 weeks. They also care for your newborn the first 6 weeks.  
 
Midwives operate on the principal of informed consent. They will explain things carefully to you, and support your birth choices as well as your place of birth (i.e. hospital or home birth, or another place altogether at times) (within the scope of their care - if you request something outside of their scope they will refer you).  
 
Yes, you can have an epidural although they will explain the risks involved with that. They also offer different modes of pain relief that you can't get with an OB, including sterile water injections and if you home birth there's a birthing pool you can use.

What does this entail? Is it for me and the baby? Do they give immunizations? Or just take weights? Do they spend an hour or so each time with you during the aftercare period?  
 
I had a public health nurse that stopped by I think once a week to weigh baby

I just finished with my midwife last week and I enjoyed it so much more than my first pregnancy with an obgyn (not that I had a bad experience with them but midwife was better). They explained everything and even though I already had a baby before, I learned more with this pregnancy that would have been good to know previously. Didn't have to wait long to see the midwife than had a long appointment, most were around the 30 minute mark for me, though some were longer. They go through and explain all your options, from where and how you want to deliver, pain control, shots given to you and baby in the hospital and support whatever you want or don't want (wasn't given options by the dr with my first).  
 
I didn't end up having a midwife deliver (it was an ambulance attendant), once I got to the hospital my midwife was there and I found my afterbirth experience was way better this time around, she was really helpful was around much much more than a doctor would be.  
 
Appointments after delivery were great as well. They were for both me and baby, for me (at various appointments) they took blood pressure, did a blood test, helped me with breastfeeding, talked to me about how I was doing and how everything was going. For the baby they weighed at every appointment, did a couple exams of the baby (listened to her heart, breathing, checked reflexes etc), she found that baby had a tongue tie and got us in to the doctor at the hospital that day to get it cut. Appointments lasted 30-60 minutes. Even after my six weeks was over they encouraged me to come in occasionally to say hi and check baby's weight.  
 
They don't do immunization, those start at two months.  
 
I had a great experience with the midwives, everybody is very kind and easy to talk to, I would recommend them to anybody. If you decide on having one call in once you find out you are pregnant, a couple have left (moved and mat leave) so not sure if that will affect how many people will get in.

The midwives visit you at home like the public health nurses do? Or do you go to the midwife office for appts?

Sorry for all the questions, it was pretty rough the first go around so I thought the more support I have next time, the better.

I would be very interested in finding out how to get in touch with a midwife. I tried emailing online through the manitoba website but haven't had a response. Would anyone be able to give me some direction?

Best way to get in to the midwife service as a patient is to call Midwifery Services directly. Their number is 1-204-571-5530.  
 
If you are in town, they will come to your home to do at least some of the post-birth checkups, depending on scheduling.  
 
They are a wonderful team, I would wholly recommend them. If you need ob/gyn referrals, or other referrals, they are able to make them.  
 
Love the midwives!

SZ said "The midwives visit you at home like the public health nurses do? Or do you go to the midwife office for appts? "

They will do both, depending on your circumstances. You'll see them quite a bit that first week (with one child, they came by every day the first 4-5 days), and then if everything is going well it drops down to weekly or longer depending on what you need.  
 
For the baby care, they will weigh and check the baby over (listen heart & lungs, hips, etc... basically everything the nurses and doctor would do). They will see if your breastfeeding well, etc. They don't do immunizations as none are due until at least 2 months of age and you'd already be discharged from care by then.  
 
And care for you... they can do many of the same things an OB can. They order tests and ultrasounds. They examine you. If there's questions or concerns that arise that may require more complex care, they will consult with an OB or refer you if required. They don't do c-sections (they will get the OB to do it if you need one), but they can do active management, they can stitch you up, they're trained for emergencies in both mother and baby... they really are top-notch.  
 
The midwife really is a one-stop shop. Instead of having an OB for you, and a doctor for the baby, and a public health nurse once you're discharged, and then maybe a lactation consultant too, the midwife can do all that. It's much more holistic in that way, that a single person supports you through the entire process.  
 
If have to say though, if you're already pregnant, you should call them last week. They fill up quickly and often have a waiting list. I've gotten in as late as 20 weeks along into their care (mostly by being persistent), so don't despair if you haven't called yet!

I just realized I duplicated some of summergal's answers!