I decided that I want my delivery to be at the Austin Birthing Center instead of Round Rock Hospital where I'm currently signed up. I had an appointment with my regular obstetrician today and wanted to talk to her about the delivery and ask her about natural childbirth, but she wasn't there. This is the 3rd visit that I didn't get to see her, only the nurses, and when I made my appointment for the next visit I was told she wouldn't be there either. At the same time, I had been thinking more and more lately about switching my delivery to the birthing center, because I want to have a natural childbirth and it seems like that would be easier to do in a birthing center than a hospital. I'm not sick and I don't like hospitals, so why go to one to deliver my baby?
So, after today's ob appointment, I decided to call them and ask about switching. They said it wasn't too late and I now have an appointment with them in 2 weeks. Instead of being delivered by a doctor, the baby would be delivered by a midwife. That means I'd stop going to my current doctor and start going to the birthing center for my check-ups instead, which I don't mind since I hardly know my doctor anyway. It sounds like something out of the last century to use a midwife, but they're actually very well educated and birthing centers like this one have a much lower percentage of problems during delivery and use of ceserean sections. Instead of having a doctor that only comes for the last hour or two of the delivery, the midwife stays with you through the entire labor and you get a lot more individual care.
The birthing center received Austin Family Magazine's "Best Place to Have a Baby" Award in 1998.
They require all first-time mothers to take the Bradley Childbirth Class, so we'd have to cancel the Lamaze classes we're signed up with. I've been reading about the Bradley method of natural childbirth and prefer that anyway. There's a class starting Thursday, so hopefully we can join that one.
Posted by pjakobs at December 1, 2003 04:29 PM