Consumers Supporting Midwifery Care

My husband and I were living in Colombia for the birth of our first two children. Both pregnancies seemed pretty normal, the care given by our doctor was excellent and as the due dates arrived, we seemed pretty prepared. Both children were born in a (freezing) operating room with a full team of masked doctors, nurses, and sterile equipment. I had given birth naturally, but had received epidurals for both – there didn’t seem to be a choice about getting one or not, my only decision was WHEN to get the needle. I stayed in the hospital overnight on both occasions, and as there were no complications, went home within 24 hours. Everything seemed normal/perfect. Feeling swollen for a few weeks, and the hemorrhoids I got from pushing, were the worst things I could say about our experiences.

When we moved to Canada, we got pregnant before we had found a family physician. Concerned, I went to a clinic to ask about a doctor and they told me that they would follow the pregnancy for the first months then further on, they would send me to an OB but that it would be the doctor on duty at the hospital who would ultimately deliver the baby. I was not impressed, especially after the excellent follow through I had experienced in Colombia. That’s when I started to think about a conversation I had had with an old friend a few years prior. She had shared her experience with the midwives and had raved of the personalized treatment and the feeling of being able to deliver at home. With nothing to lose, I looked into midwifery in Ottawa.

Fortunately, the office I called was able to squeeze me in – I think they felt bad because I had no family physician and had recently returned to the country. My Colombian husband was a bit confused. We came to a ‘civilized’ country, an ‘advanced’ nation to be attended by midwives?! (He initially referred to them as a form of Shaman, or witch doctor, asking jokingly if when the contractions started, they would open their medical bags and set up the candles and incense.) He wasn’t pleased. My mom was confused…a midwife? But a doctor will be on hand for the delivery, right? I was thrilled at the idea of having continuous care – someone who would be with me right through to the end; something that the doctor world here couldn’t do. I was decided – a midwife would deliver this baby, but I chose a hospital birth…just in case.

Nine months went along quickly – my appointments were very laid back. I was given information, asked to make choices and I was never made to feel bad about what I chose. For being my third child, everything felt strangely new. I didn’t have all of the blood work, or the ultrasounds that I had had before, so my husband remained skeptical. How do we know if the baby is ok if we can’t see him? My first child had regular ultrasounds and her final one a few weeks before her due date showed that the umbilical cord was around her neck (for which reason she was induced a week early). What if this happened again?! Would the baby strangle himself?

Contractions started the day before the due date. As the evening hit, they were mild, bearable, inconsistent. As they got stronger, I got ready for a long night/morning of discomfort, when suddenly, my water broke/exploded. It was 1AM – I called my midwife who advised me to call back in half an hour when the contractions got a bit closer. I called my parents to come over and watch the kids. Even though the contractions didn’t seem too bad, my mom insisted we head to the hospital because it was pretty far away. We couldn’t risk having the baby in the van – it’s a lease, after all. My mom ended up coming to help my husband get us checked in (because of possible language difficulties), but planned on leaving as soon as I was settled. With little traffic, we got to the hospital at 1:40. The nurses called my midwife to tell that I had arrived and she rushed over just as I was being wheeled into a birthing room. The contractions had really picked up by this point and the baby had decided it was time to come out.

By 2:11 AM, with my mom and husband present, Josée guided Felipe out, unwrapped the umbilical cord (which was wrapped around his neck twice) and handed him to me. My husband cut the umbilical cord. Felipe and I enjoyed some nice skin to skin time as we waited for the placenta to be delivered and we joked about not having been able to take advantage of all the birthing aids the Montfort Hospital had shown during our tour. No drugs, no doctor, no masks, no sterile environment, no complications – what an experience. I had a healthy baby, feeling in my legs and was on my way home by 5:00 AM. I didn’t even have to pay for parking everything went so quickly! Incredible. The delivery was just like the whole pregnancy – low key, very natural – all about the baby.

I got home before my kids had woken up; they were a bit confused to see this little guy looking up through his puffy eyes when they came out of their rooms. My dad was in shock to see us all back so fast. Josée visited us later that day to make sure we were all fine, the first of several post partum visits. This was new for us as well, and probably what impressed us the most of the whole experience. The midwives made sure that we were both doing well after the birth. No doctor would provide that type of treatment – not here, not anywhere.

After all is said and done, my husband and mother have definitely changed their thinking about midwifery. My mom enjoys telling people of the experience for the shock value of the speed of delivery and the fact I was released so fast. Having such great follow-up after the birth made this possible. When my daughter plays doctor with her Dora doll, she asks that we call her Dr. Josée.

If another baby were in our future, I would definitely return to the midwives and might even try for a home birth. My question now is, why don’t all women turn to midwives?