Seeking Doula or Mid-wife

FOR FOR FOR! Both are WONDERFUL.....I wish all women could have doulas for support and Midwives are such a great way to go for a provider.

I am also a single mom and had the most wonderful experience with a woman who teaches a hypnobirthing class and is also a doula. She has an extensive background in early childhood and she is just lovely. Her name is Trisha Fitzgerald ###-###-#### www.gentlebeginninginlife.com.

I actually went into preterm labor and could not fully use her help but she was so gracious and wonderful afterwards.

the midwives at Northwestern memorial physicians group are GREAT!!! I love them all, especially Amy and Ariel!

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good luck!

Jen,

I used midwives as my practitioners when I was pregnant with my daughter, and they were great. If you want to have a natural childbirth, midwives are the way to go. Most of them practice with a doctor or two in case of emergencies. We also used a doula, and she was wonderful. She helped massage my back, held my legs when I was pushing, parked the car, etc. I would highly recommend using one (meet with her a few times first to make sure you're a good match == most doulas will meet with you a couple of times before the birth anyway). Unfortunately, my daughter was born in Michigan, so you won't be able to use my midwives/doula, but I have some friends who've used midwives and doulas here. If you send me a message, I can try to compile a list for you.

Best of luck,
R.

I very much recommend the midwife experience especially if you are looking to do a natural birth. You can still be in a hospital etc. in case there are any issues, but let's face it, most babies do not need all that intervention to get born. My midwife was central in helping me stay committed (during the birth itself) to my original goals, etc. and that was great. The midwife is not interested in messing with nature's processes whereas with doctors it seems to come with the territory. Also the doula is a great idea. You will need help and support for sure in the first few weeks and you will be shocked (if you're anything like I was) at how challenging it all really is! Best of luck to you!

A doula is labor support and can be very helpful, especially if you do not have a partner who will be with you (and even if you do). I would highly recommend either a professional or if you have a very trusted and experienced friend or relative who can act in this capacity that would work too. Studies have shown that continuous female labor support will shorten your labor, reduce pain, and reduce the use of interventions.

A midwife would be your medical care provider, and if you are one of the 90% of women who has a healthy normal pregnancy, this is a great choice. I highly recommend West Suburban Midwife Associates in Oak Park (Gayle Reidmann and Julie Marks). Really fabulous. The midwives group at UIC (esp. Kathleen Harmon, Charity Cooper, and Lin Schaye) are also excellent. There are many reasons to user midwives... here are a few:
1. more time for you as a person. On average a midwife will spend about 20 mins per visit with you, as opposed to 10 with a doctor
2. continuous or near continuous labor support when you have your baby. A midwife is there for you THE WHOLE TIME you're in the hospital. This is in stark contrast to a doctor, who will give a nurse orders over the phone, maybe pop in once every few hours, and run in at the last minute to catch your baby.
3. faith in your body - a midwife's philosophy is that pregnancy and birth is a normal process and something you *do* - not a medical condition that "happens to you".
4. Lower rates of intereventions and more satisfied moms.
5. Midwives are not surgeons. They act to facilitate the natural birth process instead of intervening to control it. One thing they are very good at is sitting on their hands when everything is going well. Doctors are not known for this quality...

Best of luck!

I'm also in my first pregnancy. I have a midwife and a doulah to help me prepare for labor and delivery.

I go to Advocate Masonic Midwifery here in Chicago and they have been wonderful. Don't get me wrong I love my OB but wanted someone who could form a more one on one relationship for both me and the husband. Lets face it, our men don't know what they are doing if this is their first child. To have someone there to coach you along, leaving your husband to be right there next to you to share this incredible moment is a sigh of relief in my book.

I had a doula and it was the best money spent. I wanted to labor as long as possible at home before going to the hospital. As a first-time mother, I really relied on her guidance and support.

I went through Birthways and strongly recommend them. You give your criteria and they set you up with a doula who seems a good match. You then get to meet her to decide, you may meet several before deciding.

http://www.birthwaysinc.com/

Absolutely get a doula if you can! I am pregnant with my first child, and thankfully have a friend who is a doula, who will be by my side during labor. At first I thought, well, that's cool - but after taking my birthing class I thought 'there's no WAY I'm going into this without a doula!' :). I think even if you do have a partner or husband there, they are not the same as a woman who is trained to help you mentally and physically. Check out www.dona.org for all the ways in which a doula can help you and some stats on reductions in c-sections, epidurals and other medical interventions like episiotimies.
Do you prefer a natural birth? I think one is more likely to have one with a midwife, vs a doc. I have a lovely midwife in Evanston if you would like a recommendation - feel free to message me.
It's great that you're thinking this through, and I'd encourage you to interview some doulas/midwives to see who you're comfortable with, as early as possible. (Although it's never too late to switch!)
All the best to you during this exciting and tumultuous time!

I have nothing but positive feedback for you regarding both midwives and birth doulas. I used both for my pregnancies, and they were fantastic! I used West Suurban Midwives Association in Oak Park, and my doula was P. Hays. She's on the DONA (doulas of north america) website. Really, this is the way to go. A woman's body is designed for birth, and we don't need any OB interfering or telling us what our bodies can or can't do.
Best of luck to you!

I highly recommend choosing a midwife, as well. Their approach to the delivery is to support you, while looking out for the health of the baby, but they do not treat pregnancy as a medical condition but a natural process.

I worked at UIC and went to the Midwife group there. The good part about the group is they work in the hospital alongside OBs and have all of the same resources available in case of complications, but have the freedom to take their own approach. I chose to have a natural birth but wanted a hospital birth in case medical intervention was neeeded - which it was as my daughter had respiratory complications at delivery and needed to be treated by the neonatologist immediately after birth and was admitted to the NICU.

I absolutely LOVED my midwife, Lin Schaye (someone actually mentioned her earlier). She is very knowledgeable and passionate about caring for women and was a wonderful support for me throughout my pregnancy and was essential during labor. Her calm and maternal manner were just what I needed to help me through a very long labor (30 hours in hospital).

A doula sounds like a good choice for you, as well. My husband is a physician and was very comfortable with the physical aspects of labor and really wanted to be involved so we chose to take Bradley Birthing classes. If you have a close friend or relative who would like to be involved in the labor, this would be a great option for you both. The class is very focused on a "team approach" to labor and teaching your birthing partner how to support you. Even if you do not plan to have a natural birth (which Bradley strongly advocates) it is useful to take a class to learn how to manage pain (even medicated deliveries are not entirely pain free) and different options that are available to you. The best part is that everything is practiced during the class so you can figure out what labor positions, pain-relief techniques and other options work for you and your partner is familiar with all of it so during the stress of labor they know exactly what to do.

Congratulations and best of luck!

Jen:

check at www.birthlink.com

for a doula: www.birthways.com

P., RLC, IBCLC
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions

DO use a midwife, I did it with my daughter and could not have been happier with the whole thing! I used Midwest Midwifery out of Alexian brothers for my daughter, but Im thinking of changing to West Suburban midwives for this baby, because our insurance changed. I highly recommend the ladies at Midwest, and I go to West Suburban on the 22nd to meet them, so I can let you know what l think of them later. Please feel free to message me if you want to know more!
I LOVE my midwives!

Hi Jen. I'm also a single mother, and I love it. I delivered with my mom in the delivery room with me, then spent the first two weeks at her house. Though it's exhausting, it was a fantastic time, and I've enjoyed every moment of being a single mom. My son's 16 months old today, and we have had a fantastic time as just the two of us. A supportive family and friends are important, and make sure you do ask for help when you need it. Don't let people scare you too much about single mom-dom. It is wonderful. Contact me if you have any questions, or just want to talk to someone who's been there. Good luck, and have fun!
--C.

Jen, there are three midwife groups at West Suburban in Oak Park that I hear rave reviews about. Pam Hays was our backup doula. We only met her once, but loved her. Our doula was Rachel Wickersham, and we loved her too. Inteview a few to find one you connect with. Try the DONA website for names and locations. Good luck!

Hi jen.
I just delivered my first baby at prentice 7 weeks ago. I go to the Northwestern memorial physicians group and see the midwives. I absolutely love sara eggemeirer. She helped me deliver my son naturally after 34 hours!