I Love My Midwife

My first pregnancy, I went to a female doctor who came highly recommended by everybody.  The first trimester, I didn't even see her.  My appointments were with an assistant.  Later, when I did have my appointments with her, I would wait in the waiting room for 30 to 90 minutes, then wait in the exam room even longer.  Finally, the doctor would breeze in, spend 10 seconds with a tape measure and a doppler and be gone before I knew it.  When I delivered, she was all business and got the job done very efficiently.  Then she was gone.  During the entire nine months, including the delivery, I am sure I spent far less than one hour in the presence of my doctor.  But I was grateful for her professionalism.

Later, I was lucky enough to find Karen McBride when I had Ari.  I was set up with a doctor from the practice, but again, the policy was to meet with a midwife for the first trimester.  After my first appointment with Karen, I never switched over to the doctor because I was so impressed with Karen.  I had had a miscarriage before, so Karen made sure we found a heartbeat on ultrasound the very first visit.  She spent some time asking me questions and allowing me to ask questions.  She took time with the ultrasound, explaining what we were looking at and why the baby was A-OK.  When I got pregnant with Freestone, we didn't see a baby at first, so I went in every two days for a week until his heartbeat finally showed up.  I know doctors who would have sent me home to wait and see whether I miscarried or not.  Karen knows knowledge is power and she knows maternal instinct is real.  When Freestone was born, she saved his life by listening to me when I said something felt wrong.  The cord was around his neck and each contraction cut off his oxygen.  Had she not advised me to go to the hospital if I felt like it, he would have died.

With Ptolemy, we went through A.I. seven or eight times, each one seeming to fall on a Saturday night.  I can't even count how many times I went in, several days in a row each month, so Karen could measure the egg and get the timing exactly right.  She never balked at having to open the office on a weekend, just for us.  She said this baby had a special mission, and she was invested in getting him here.  She did it.  

This time, I never heard the words, "advanced maternal age," never had Karen give me any reason to worry.  She always acts excited to see the baby on the ultrasound, to give me a clear view of the baby's face, to point out all the measurements and explain why they look good, and to plan with me for the delivery.  There was never any question about whether she would let me call the shots on inducing, etc.  With Ptolemy, Karen and I had it all planned out to the minute to fit both of our mealtimes!  When it was time to push, I happened to be wearing matching socks.  Karen had a nurse go get mismatched socks to put on my feet before she delivered the baby.  So...she knows me, and she's funny.

These past two weeks, Karen has been in Africa climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.  (Because she is that awesome!)  I saw an OB three times while she was gone and was reminded why I love my midwife so much.  The doc was in and out of the exam room before I had time to realize that I had questions that Karen would have automatically answered.  She is a great doctor, though, very on the ball and quick to know just what to do.

I know there are great baby doctors out there.  I don't mean to generalize or criticize.  Everyone has a different style they're comfortable with.  All I'm saying is that I love having the care of a certified nurse midwife combined with the safety and technology of an obstetrician's office (Circle of Life Women's Center) to back her up.  I was lucky to find a midwife who is so good at what she does and so fun to work with, as well as a practice that is so up-to-date with technology, especially with having an ultrasound any time I go in.  This Friday, I'll go to the hospital, hook up the pitocin, get my epidural, and if all goes according to Karen's lunch plans, be holding a baby by mid-afternoon.   Of course, you can't control all the variables, but don't tell that to me or Karen.  We won't believe you.