Who's better? An OB or a midwife?

It all depends on whether you want every test and technogizzmo available or if you have trust in your body and view pregnancy as something natural rather than a medical condition. IMO, a low-risk mom gets much better results going with a midwife than with an OB. She will most likely heal faster as the midwife will be much less inclined to use interventions. Less (or no) interventions with an uncomplicated vaginal delivery will be batter for baby too.

With a midwife, your labor will be considered normal until her training tells her it's not.

With an OB, your labor will not be considered normal until the baby is born safely, so not much of a chance of just letting your body do what it needs to do.

Of course, there are OBs out there with more of a midwife's way of dealing with pregnancy and delivery, just as there are "medwives"- midwives with the same attitude as many OBs.

Do some interviews and find someone who's attitude towards labor and delivery matches your own.

It's your choice, but I personally prefer a midwife because the care is much more personal. They spend 30 minutes to an hour with you at each appt instead of 5 or 10 minutes. Also, the prenatal testing is optional with a midwife, whereas with an OB it's usually not. A midwife is also with you throughout the whole labor process, but a doctor usually comes in just to deliver the baby. The doctor doesn't provide postpartum care or help with breastfeeding, but a midwife does.

This is very general. I'm sure there are lots of wonderful OBs who try to be really in tune with you and what kind of birth you want. I just prefer midwives overall.

Depends on what you want from your pregnancy and delivery. My own experience is that an OB looks for and treats pregnancy like a medical condition, where a midwife treats the pregnancy like a natural condition, unless it becomes a medical condition.

I have had a hospital midwife, an OB, and a home birth midwife. By far, my own preference is home birth, then hospital midwife, and finally the OB. This time I am opting for another home birth again because I am low risk.

Why do you view being a midwife as extra risky than an OB? As a qualified Nurse Midwife, you at the instant are not doing homestead births (i don't understand of any states which enable CNMs to do those) so which you would be in a well being center putting. you in many circumstances might desire to have a collaborative association with an OB who can take over care if the situation will become too intense threat which you would be able to administration and/or to do c-sections notwithstanding if it is needed. And hospitals might have an emergency health practitioner in homestead in the journey that your OB can't make it there rapid sufficient. There ARE factors that might actually assist you. once you're an MD, i could say that is a techniques riskier. you are the guy who's the tip of the line care service for those bigger threat situations. you would be far extra in all threat to be sued than a midwife given which you would be doing surgeries. I initially went into nursing with the reason on turning out to be a CNM. I grew to alter right into a L&D nurse, which of direction you go with artwork journey in while you're going on your CNM. i stumbled on very with out delay that whilst I enjoyed the area of the bedside RN and exertions help place, i did not go with the duty of the CNM. does not go with the duty of the OB, the two. not for all the money interior the international. that is too intense-rigidity for my liking. So I replaced my concentration and now i'm going for women's well being Nurse Practitioner. i gets to work out women interior the hospital in simple terms like an OB, doing ordinary prenatal care too, and in some clinics i could have well being center privileges to do rounds, admissions and discharges, etc. - all of direction with a health practitioner collaborative contract. For me, it replaced into the suited stability between the two roles.

I think midwife can be better because they are usually better at patient care, and most likely to be more supportive for a natural birth. Obs are more likely to use medical interventions.

It really is best to come up with your own birthing philosophy and then interview with a midwife and an ob.

Also many obs work on call with others so you may not see your dr when you are in labor.

http://assets.babycenter.com/ims/Content/Ob-gyn_in...

An OB tends to treat pregnancy as a medical condition. A Midwife pays more personal attention to their patients and generally takes a more caring role as a practitioner.

In my opinion, a Midwife is better than a OB for caring for a low risk pregnancy.

I think that an Ob is better because they essentially become your doctor during your pregnancy. They will deal with all your health issues unlike a midwife. However, I am having a high risk pregnancy.

OB is more "medical" - they can perform surgeries

Midwife - only takes care and delivers low risk pregnancy's, and can't do anything "medical" like an OB can

I don't think one is necessarily better - its just a matter of which you prefer

if your a medicate client you ask your case worker if you have an Option. if your not than call your insurance agent and find out if the have any choose for you to looking into. take care of yourself and baby. eat right ,exercise and try not to stress on this too much. it isn't good for the baby. before you make calls or begin anything, take a minute to plan your Q'&A's. relax for 2 minutes ( no cheating on this one) then get to work. you'll be more at ease and get more out of it. take care sweety.