If you're looking for more personal, less rushed care during your pregnancy, you may want to consider a midwife. The midwives' model of care is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes. She usually offers a variety of options and seeks to eliminate or minimize unnecessary interventions. Read "Is a Midwife Right for Me?" to learn more.

If you are a well and healthy childbearing woman, you can consider giving birth in a hospital, an out-of-hospital birth center, or in your home. Or can you? We are asking you to support a new law to ensure that Medicaid programs reimburse birth centers for care of pregnant women with Medicaid coverage, preserving access to high quality, high value maternity care provided in out-of-hospital birth centers!

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
Hi. I am 35 weeks pregnant. Is it too late to change prenatal care providers? I go to an OB/GYN, and lately I've been feeling rushed whenever I attend my appointments. This week I feel severe pain on the left side of my pubic bone and reported to my provider that I've secreted a clear-whitish mucous about 3 days ago. I asked if I should see her and she said it is not necessary.

I strongly encourage pregnant women to embrace this truly magical time, a time when their own soul allows the entrance of another into this world. The following is a list of the five things I advise every expectant couple to know.

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
I am 37 weeks. My doctor said I was totally effaced and dilated to 3. The plug came out a week ago. The baby's head is engaged. I have been experiencing diarrhea. I am 41 and this my 5th baby. I have never continued labor without Pitocin. Every time I go to hospital they send me home.

My contractions have gone on for months. Lately I have had contractions down to 3 minutes but they send me home. What should I do .They tell me don't come back until you are in severe pain. I can barely walk with this baby's head engaged and am in pain.

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
I am 32 weeks pregnant and I saw my OB a few days ago. I had been having vaginal and rectal pressure so she did an exam. She said that I was 70% effaced but not dilated. I always heard that you dilated first. Can you tell me if this is any indicator that I will go into labor sometime soon?

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
Hi. I was hoping you could help me. I am now in the midst of trying for a third child. My last 2 pregnancies were horrible. I had toxemia for both and had to be put on blood pressure pills. Both were emergency c-sections. My last pregnancy was even worse they had to deliver her at 7 months because she was not growing and was showing signs of distress.

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant. I have read about preconception and pregnancy but my question has to do with birthing choices. When I was born my mother used a midwife at home and when my husband was born he had a doctor in a hospital. Which do you think is better? I like the idea of a home birth but when my mother-in-law was having my husband, he got stuck coming out. Is that possibly a genetic thing? He had very big shoulders! Could that possibly happen to us?