Diaper Swappers

MonkeyBean415 · 01-28-2013, 02:10 PM

Unfortunately having a homebirth just isn't an option for us but there will be a midwife here for the summer and she might be able to be there for me to labor at home and then have me transfer to the hospital last minute just for pushing. Does anyone have any experience with this or know anything about it? My doula briefly mentioned it to me today but we didn't get the chance to talk about the details. I'm hoping this would be a good option for us. Thanks so much for your help!

Green Decals · 01-28-2013, 03:16 PM

It would depend on your reasons for not doing a homebirth. Medical? Financial? There is always the chance that baby will be born at home or en route to the hospital, but unless you feel it is to risky otherwise, there is no real reason to not labor at home for as long as possible.

MonkeyBean415 · 01-28-2013, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Green Decals

It would depend on your reasons for not doing a homebirth. Medical? Financial? There is always the chance that baby will be born at home or en route to the hospital, but unless you feel it is to risky otherwise, there is no real reason to not labor at home for as long as possible.

Thank you for your thoughts. I had originally ruled out a homebirth because we live on a secluded island and don't have a midwife here. After talking to my doula today I found out that there will be one here for the summer months. But I don't think we could financially afford it. Our insurance will fully cover a hospital birth but not a midwife (they'll cover part of it if it's a fully certified midwife- but she's not). I dream of a home waterbirth but I just don't see it happening for as long as we live here.

bigmamakelsey · 01-28-2013, 04:57 PM

Honestly, most midwives charge for being at the birth itself, even if a transfer is needed more often than not they still charge a full fee. I'm sure she'd do it reduced since she didn't provide any prenatal care (and I assume you'll be going elsewhere for postpartum care?) But the birth is a bulk of what they charge, so if it's a financial thing you might want to look into how much it would be for her to just be with you in labor.

Kiliki · 01-28-2013, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigmamakelsey

Honestly, most midwives charge for being at the birth itself, even if a transfer is needed more often than not they still charge a full fee. I'm sure she'd do it reduced since she didn't provide any prenatal care (and I assume you'll be going elsewhere for postpartum care?) But the birth is a bulk of what they charge, so if it's a financial thing you might want to look into how much it would be for her to just be with you in labor.

This is what I was thinking, too.

Also, many MWs are flexible and take payments. Some will give you a deep discount for paying OOP.

Maybe you could talk to her and find out her fees/schedule....

MonkeyBean415 · 01-28-2013, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigmamakelsey

Honestly, most midwives charge for being at the birth itself, even if a transfer is needed more often than not they still charge a full fee. I'm sure she'd do it reduced since she didn't provide any prenatal care (and I assume you'll be going elsewhere for postpartum care?) But the birth is a bulk of what they charge, so if it's a financial thing you might want to look into how much it would be for her to just be with you in labor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiliki

This is what I was thinking, too.

Also, many MWs are flexible and take payments. Some will give you a deep discount for paying OOP.

Maybe you could talk to her and find out her fees/schedule....

Thank you both! You have a very good point. I'll need to talk to her once I get her contact information. I just hate that everything is undecided and my doula is unavailable so I'll need to talk to the other one in the practice and hopefully can work out some sort of partial trade with all of them. I could probably manage to labor at home with just a doula for a long time but I really don't want to go to the hospital too soon. I'm still wishing and hoping we could somehow make a home birth work out.

mollym · 01-30-2013, 10:11 PM

We didn't have a midwife, but things ended up like this for us. It was my first pregnancy and I didn't want to spend a long time in the hospital. The plan was to do early labor at home, then head to the hospital (30 mins away) when contractions got under 5 minutes apart. Well, the contractions were sort of all over the place and then they started coming FAST. So by the time we realized things were progressing quickly, we just dashed to the hospital and I was 10cm by the time we got there. This was pretty much OK, the birth turned out as I wanted. But I have to tell you, I transitioned in the car, being driven down bumpy highways at 85mph. That was hell. I don't regret how things turned out, but do consider the realities of being in a vehicle during later stages of labor.

~Cricket~ · 02-02-2013, 12:33 PM

I think that trying to head to the hospital at that stage of labour would be terrible - sorry! It's up to you of course - you can do whatever you think is best. But I think I'd rather be settled wherever I am to deliver when labour gets intense. The idea of having to move at transition or pushing would be really awful to me.
All the best with whatever you decide!

songbird516 · 02-04-2013, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mollym

We didn't have a midwife, but things ended up like this for us. It was my first pregnancy and I didn't want to spend a long time in the hospital. The plan was to do early labor at home, then head to the hospital (30 mins away) when contractions got under 5 minutes apart. Well, the contractions were sort of all over the place and then they started coming FAST. So by the time we realized things were progressing quickly, we just dashed to the hospital and I was 10cm by the time we got there. This was pretty much OK, the birth turned out as I wanted. But I have to tell you, I transitioned in the car, being driven down bumpy highways at 85mph. That was hell. I don't regret how things turned out, but do consider the realities of being in a vehicle during later stages of labor.

This is a good point. The reality is that when you get to pushing, it's very hard to transfer. My husband practically carried me out of the house during our first birth; I could not get myself out of the house. And we only live 5 minutes away from the hospital, so that's why she was born there. Otherwise it would have been in the car or on the side of the road. How far away are you from the hospital? Birth is so unpredictable that if you wait until pushing and THEN transfer..you have no idea what will happen, midwife or not.

01-28-2013, 02:10 PM	#1
MonkeyBean415 Registered Users Formerly: Coastiefam415 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Alaska Posts: 771 Ratings: 238 Feedback: 100%	Midwife services- labor at home and transfer to hospital for pushing Unfortunately having a homebirth just isn't an option for us but there will be a midwife here for the summer and she might be able to be there for me to labor at home and then have me transfer to the hospital last minute just for pushing. Does anyone have any experience with this or know anything about it? My doula briefly mentioned it to me today but we didn't get the chance to talk about the details. I'm hoping this would be a good option for us. Thanks so much for your help! __________________ Becca- loving wife to C (4/08) and SAHM to my sweet little A (9/10)! ISO/IHA MonkeybeanCreations on DS ----MonkeybeanCreations on FB

01-28-2013, 03:16 PM	#2
Green Decals Registered Users Formerly: mumma1010 Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 2,682 Ratings: 137 Feedback: 99% My Mood:	Re: Midwife services- labor at home and transfer to hospital for pushing It would depend on your reasons for not doing a homebirth. Medical? Financial? There is always the chance that baby will be born at home or en route to the hospital, but unless you feel it is to risky otherwise, there is no real reason to not labor at home for as long as possible. __________________ Check out my massive ISO/IHA thread HERE!

01-28-2013, 04:57 PM	#4
bigmamakelsey Registered Users Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Montana Posts: 9,524 Ratings: 159 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Midwife services- labor at home and transfer to hospital for pushing Honestly, most midwives charge for being at the birth itself, even if a transfer is needed more often than not they still charge a full fee. I'm sure she'd do it reduced since she didn't provide any prenatal care (and I assume you'll be going elsewhere for postpartum care?) But the birth is a bulk of what they charge, so if it's a financial thing you might want to look into how much it would be for her to just be with you in labor. __________________ K&K My little firecracker Lennon 10.09, crying before he fully emerged and My little sweetheart Indi 6.12, born smiling

01-30-2013, 10:11 PM	#7
mollym Registered Users Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 33 Ratings: 3 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Midwife services- labor at home and transfer to hospital for pushing We didn't have a midwife, but things ended up like this for us. It was my first pregnancy and I didn't want to spend a long time in the hospital. The plan was to do early labor at home, then head to the hospital (30 mins away) when contractions got under 5 minutes apart. Well, the contractions were sort of all over the place and then they started coming FAST. So by the time we realized things were progressing quickly, we just dashed to the hospital and I was 10cm by the time we got there. This was pretty much OK, the birth turned out as I wanted. But I have to tell you, I transitioned in the car, being driven down bumpy highways at 85mph. That was hell. I don't regret how things turned out, but do consider the realities of being in a vehicle during later stages of labor.

02-02-2013, 12:33 PM	#8
~Cricket~ Registered Users Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 659 Ratings: 9 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Midwife services- labor at home and transfer to hospital for pushing I think that trying to head to the hospital at that stage of labour would be terrible - sorry! It's up to you of course - you can do whatever you think is best. But I think I'd rather be settled wherever I am to deliver when labour gets intense. The idea of having to move at transition or pushing would be really awful to me. All the best with whatever you decide! __________________ Me DH married for 11 years, parents to 6 small people Five of these: one of these: and one arriving in September!