Pregnancy: Week 10 and Why We're Using a Birth Center

During week 10, I had my first "official" appointment at the birth center.  It was wonderful!  I can't get over the difference between the birth center that I'm using for this pregnancy and the ob/gyn I used for my previous pregnancy.

while pregnant with Little Guy

Let me start by giving you a little background.  When I was pregnant with Little Guy, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.  I found a local ob/gyn (a very nice man) who was part of a big practice with multiple locations in the Orlando area.  The appointments usually went like this:

Walk in, sign in, wait to be called back.
Get called back and weighed and told to put on your gown and wait for the doctor.
Wait about 20 minutes in your paper gown alone in the exam room until the doctor and nurse finally come in.
Make about 1 minute of small talk with the doctor, get examined, about 1 more minute of small talk with the doctor, and he leaves.
Get dressed, head back out to the lobby, arrange your payment, schedule next appointment, anddd done.
I doubt they even knew my name without their clipboard.

When it was time to have the baby, I went to Winnie Palmer hospital (which is a newer, beautiful hospital that specializes in women and children), had a very great nurse (for the second half of labor- I don't really remember the nurse I had before shift change), and a woman doctor (who seemed nice enough) whom I'd never met before "caught" Little Guy and stitched me up.

I told the new nurse that came in after delivery, that I wanted to breastfeed (my doctor hadn't talked to me at all about it though, so I knew virtually nothing except for the logistics).  She said, "ok," and left the room.  When she came back in to check on us again and asked how it was going, I told her I was having a little trouble, so she just got a bottle of formula and had me feed it to the baby and told me I could try again when I got home.
Gee, thanks for your help and expertise and caring.  Was there a number I could call?  An organization I could talk to?  Would it have taken you more than 2 minutes to get me a pamphlet or something? That's what bothered me most about my experience.  The lack of care. Not medical care.  Human care. As a person to another person. A soul to another soul.  That's what I was desperately missing from my birth experience.

I did end up trying for about a month, breastfeeding and pumping, but since I knew nothing, I eventually gave up and went to formula full-time.

I am in no way blaming or shaming any of the people above.  It wasn't a horrible experience, and Little Guy was born healthy and fine. And I'm not criticizing anyone who chooses to go the ob/gyn/hospital route with their pregnancy.  I've just chosen to try a new route this time around.

It's one of those situations where, once you've seen, you can never "unsee."  Once you know, you can never "unknow," and I know that birth could be a much different experience.  I have a friend that had natural births in a birth center, and her birth story was so inspiring.  My eyes really opened when I watched the documentary Pregnant In America. I followed that up with Ricki Lake's:  The Business of Being Born and More Business of Being Born.  

Here they are if you'd like to check them out.  


The documentaries basically set out to inform people that pregnancy is not a medical condition.  It's a natural condition.  You do not automatically need a doctor to have a baby.  Women have been having babies since the beginning of time, it's a natural process that our bodies were designed to perform.


Yes, I am fully aware that sometimes complications arise in which a doctor's care is needed, and I am thankful that we have doctors for such circumstances.  I just feel that they don't need to be the automatic go-to for a healthy pregnancy.

So....back to my birth center and how much Hubby and I love it.  He raves about it as soon as we get in the car each time we leave the center.  The ladies there are real women.  They want to know how you're doing.  They share their past experiences with you.  They believe in you, and your power to know and choose what is right for you.

Humanity example:  at this 10 week appointment, we were talking about my nausea, and the midwife gave me a bag of crystallized ginger to take home.  She then proceeded to give me a bag-full of her own blend of loose leaf prenatal tea to try.  As I was leaving, we were talking about increased gas during pregnancy, and she had Hubby and I try these Papaya Enzyme Tablets that I mentioned in my last pregnancy update. My previous ob/gyn never took the time out and care, let alone the expense to give me anything like that during my visits.

Here's the best way I can sum it up:
Going to the doctor when you're pregnant is like going to the doctor when you're pregnant.
Going to a birth center when you're pregnant is like going to your incredibly knowledgeable Aunt's house where all your incredibly knowledgeable cousins happen to be as well.  They know a ton, have lots of experience, and they actually care about you.

We're so glad we've made this decision.