Future CNMs

ayndim · Jul 16, 2004

OK, I have a question. It sounds like most of you have had children already. Did you all do it naturally, or did you get an epidural? I admire those women who can do it naturally, but I just couldn't. I have 1 son, and during my whole pregnancy, I wanted to have natural childbirth, but boy, i was NOT ready for that pain!!! When I watch those shows, it just seems so much more meaningful, and more emotional to do it natural. I plan on waiting until I've got my ASN at least, maybe even my BSN before having any more kids. I don't want to be a "hipocrite" and talk so highly of the midwife, natural childbirth thing, and then be a complete wimp and end up getting an epidrual! Does anyone know what I mean????

I look at being a mw not as a encourager of medfree labors but as a supporter for moms wishes. If mom wants an epidrual then I am not going to be the one who tells her no. I will offer facts and support but in the end mom has to make the decision. I believe that is one aspect of the mw model of care. Even with an epidural I will try to keep interventions to a minimum.

I had 1 natural and 2 epidurals. To be honest, I didn't find that much of a difference. It was a magical moment for all of my birhts.

Energizer Bunny · Jul 16, 2004

I look at being a mw not as a encourager of medfree labors but as a supporter for moms wishes. If mom wants an epidrual then I am not going to be the one who tells her no. I will offer facts and support but in the end mom has to make the decision. I believe that is one aspect of the mw model of care. Even with an epidural I will try to keep interventions to a minimum.

I completely agree with you here. I don't think midwifery has to be all about going natural but about the woman's wants and needs.

mitchsmom · Jul 16, 2004

hi, another future mw here :) i'm in a bsn program right now. my story is kind of like some of the others here, particularly the person who said she thought of being a doula or child birth educator, etc. before deciding on cnm. i actually did a childbirth educator course and then didn't do the student teaching part because by that time i had decided to just put the rest of the effort toward starting my prereqs for nursing school.

unless we move to a city with a cnm program, i will probably be doing frontier or stonybrook also. i am sort of taking it one step at a time and will just have to make that part work when the time comes. as it is now, i commute 2 hours each way to my bsn program!

i do sometimes doubt myself, especially with all the swimming upstream involved in nurse-midwifery. however, i am lucky enough that i don't need this to support my family (as a matter of fact my husband doesn't even want me in school... another uphill battle to contend with; and i already have a ba degree in something else)... anyway, the point in mentioning that is that i'm really doing this to become a cnm or i probably wouldn't have gone back to school at all, so i hope my devotion is worth it in the end. i start clinicals this fall so i'll be getting more of an idea if the whole thing will be what i had in mind - crossing fingers! i have loved all the nursing school subject matter so far so i hope it will continue. but it's a lot different to read things in books and to go and touch and interact with people (and wipe a$$, as my husband and some of his nurse coworkers never fail to remind me).

i had two epidurals before going natural w/ #3. i wanted natural w/ #2 and i think i would have done it if i'd had a more supportive nurse (i.e.... didn't say "you better get it now, you might regret it later if you don't, now's your last chance" etc). with number 3 i was more committed and i knew by then that i wanted to be a midwife so like you were saying, in addition to my own desire for the least amount of intervention, i wanted to be able to say i had done it both ways.

unlike the previous poster, i did notice differences. i could move around the whole time (and by the way, being out of the bed was like 1000% better than lying in the bed, that was like torture when i had to get up there to get checked or something), i labored in the bath some, my labor didn't slow down like it did w/ #2, no urinary catheter or bp permanantly attached to my arm, i was up and in the shower about 30 or 45 mins after the birth, no sore spot on my back for months, etc. etc. probably more if i thought about it a while.

to be fair, on the downside - obviously i felt the pain, and i was more tired when the baby was born (then again i had been up all night also, so it's hard to say)... it was definitely hard going natural but definitely worth it and i wish i had the right conditions and confidence to do it the first two times (even though the first two were fine and the epidurals worked right).

about laboring in the bath - with #2 i did for a while before the epidural and it was heavenly (wish i would have stayed there instead of being pressured by that nurse to get out and get the epidural). with #3 i got in for a while, but i was further along in labor than w/ #2 and i couldn't really get comfortable so i didn't stay in long -if the tub had been a round shape (wider) it probably would have worked better, i dunno, i was prolly getting to that cranky stage so who knows...but it was nice to be able to try it along with the other stuff in my bag of tricks...when you are at that point it is nice to have *anything* to pass a few more contractions, kwim?

ok i'll shut up for now but i hope we keep this thread going :)

mitchsmom · Jul 16, 2004

oh oh oh, but I forgot to say.. I would like to support my mw patients with whatever decisions they make for a birth plan as long as they have informed consent, which I don't feel that most patients get these days. I mean, how many OB's say "a low-intervention birth puts you at lower risk for ________, _______, _______, etc." Verrrrry few! More like "you do whatEVER you need to do, it's all very safe, and by the way, even better if you can do it before 5:00 on a weekday".

ragingmomster, BSN, MSN, RN · Jul 17, 2004

I got interested in midwifery when I had all 3 of my kids with midwives, and am planning on MOVING to another state to go to grad school for my CNM once this BSN is done in December.

The huge philosophical difference between the medical model and the midwifery model has been the basis for my wanting to go the CNM route. I have been working on this career plan for 5 years now, and hope to be in my dream job before 40.

We need to keep this thread going and try to snag some wannabe's who are in school, don' cha think?

mitchsmom · Jul 17, 2004

am planning on MOVING to another state to go to grad school for my CNM once this BSN is done in December.

ragingmomster, Have you done your OB rotation in your BSN program? I would like to hear how the experience was from the point of view of a future mw. I can't wait for mine but my peds/OB won't be until next summer or fall ('05).. I'll prolly chose Fall even though it's further away because it's a longer semester and I obviously want as much experience and training in OB as possible.

Does the grad school you are looking at allow direct entry before getting L&D experience? It seems like most programs I see require at least a year of full time experience in L&D.

I sort of thought it would be cool if I could be a CNM by my 20 year high school reunion (I don't know why, I don't even know if I'll go to the dang thing!.. I send xmas card to ONE person from hs and that's it! LOL! But I thought it would be a cool goal and a cool thing to say I do for al iving :)...BUT like you, I may have to amend the goal to be by 40 years old if the rest of it doesn't go at a pretty swift pace

oh, and I didn't have any of my kids with a midwife!

The first one I was clueless, the second and third I was too far away from one. With the third, though, I used a friend of mine who is an OB and she pretty much let me have everthing my way so it was probably even better :)

ayndim · Jul 17, 2004

I got interested in midwifery when I had all 3 of my kids with midwives, and am planning on MOVING to another state to go to grad school for my CNM once this BSN is done in December.
The huge philosophical difference between the medical model and the midwifery model has been the basis for my wanting to go the CNM route. I have been working on this career plan for 5 years now, and hope to be in my dream job before 40.
We need to keep this thread going and try to snag some wannabe's who are in school, don' cha think?

I am so happy that there were so many responses already. I just felt the need to connect with other CNM wannabes. It is such a hard path to decide to follow with the school, hours and insurance required. But it is truly my dream that I am following.

I did notice some difference with the epidural but nothing major. But I had the first natural and the second and third with an epidural. But I did it with #2 because the d**n pit hurt so bad (ROM 24+). And with #3 I did it so I could have my tubes tied w/o being put to sleep. The great thing is that my CNM was supportive in each case. The epidural was great with #3 because I was in so much pain in my pelvis (labor didn't hurt at all) that it felt as if it split in two the last 2 months of the pg. It was the first time I felt no pain. They ended up not doing the tubal because of the OR schedule and dh had a vasectomy. If I knew I wasn't going to be able to get the tubal I probably would not have had the epidural. I did notice I was more aware of the babies emerging with the epidural and could take my time allowing myself to stretch without the ring of fire. I also could watch the mirror and them emerging more (I saw all three born). But the unmedicated birth was a bit more "magical" feeling.

mitchsmom · Jul 17, 2004

ok, one more. I though you guys might like to see this if you haven't already:

Best CNM schools – U.S. News and World Report 2004

1.Oregon Health and Science Univ.

2.U of Penn

3.U of Illinois

4.U of Michigan at Ann Arbor

5.U of Minnesota at Twin Cities

6.U of NM

7.Emory U

8.U of Washington

9.UC SF/SF General Hospital

10.Boston U

11.U of CO at Denver

12.Yale

BTW, Emory has a "Family Nurse-Midwife" that is a CNM/FNP combo... I would love that but I really really doubt we are going to be moving to Atlanta (dh's job field is not easily transferable).

Browneyedgirl · Jul 17, 2004

The works with births 1 and 2. Nothing but the strength of my body and support of my dh with births 3 and 4. I also did used the Bradley Method with 3 and 4.

In response to the poster who said she was not ready for the pain. Humans aren't born with birthing instincts...we've evolved from that. The only way my body was ready for natural birth was because I practiced relaxation over and over and over and I read and read and read..and I did exercised to help relax my pelvic floor.

I"m also looking at Emory's CNM/FNP program, Frontier, or U of CO

Energizer Bunny · Jul 17, 2004

ok, one more. I though you guys might like to see this if you haven't already:
Best CNM schools – U.S. News and World Report 2004
1. Oregon Health and Science Univ.
2. U of Penn
3. U of Illinois
4. U of Michigan at Ann Arbor
5. U of Minnesota at Twin Cities
6. U of NM
7. Emory U
8. U of Washington
9. UC SF/SF General Hospital
10. Boston U
11. U of CO at Denver
12. Yale
BTW, Emory has a "Family Nurse-Midwife" that is a CNM/FNP combo... I would love that but I really really doubt we are going to be moving to Atlanta (dh's job field is not easily transferable).

That is actually really, really good to know about Emory. We are thinking of moving directly after I get my ADN (though I think I want to do some pre-req's for my BSN here) and are trying to decide on an area. Atlanta would be great since Home Depot's headquarters is there and that's where dh works!

Thanks for the info.

mitchsmom · Jul 17, 2004

andrea, yeah i agree, my 2nd stage was slower and more controlled with the first two, more able to do the mirror, etc. (altho #1 was about 30 mins and #2 was just a few pushes really). and i've been so lucky - no tears or episiotomies ever!! woohoo!

with my natural birth i was out of it from the pain and being up all night, once i got the urge it was really intense and his head was out in a push or two (then he was stuck (shoulder dystocia) and yelling "don't push!!!!!"- which was one of the most impossible feats i've ever attempted)... so there was a moment of almost panic before the mcroberts maneuver then suprapubic pressure, etc. helped him out. so with all that, it wasn't the leisurely counting and watching, etc. that it was the first two times :) still would pick natural again, but they were just different.

one of my favorite pictures is of my first when he was just born, the doc is holding him up in her hand on the way to my chest, with the cord still visibly attached, and i'm holding my finger out and he's grasping it. :)

that wouldn't have happened with #3, i was too busy catching my breath!!!

Baby Catcher · Jul 17, 2004

I start Frontier next month. I'm so excited!! I currently work in a hospital based birthing center and it's a great job. I am also a certified childbirth educator. I've been an RN for 11 years with the past 3 in the birthing center. Prior to that I did clinic nursing including pre-natal. Next week I'm going to an ALSO conference (advanced life support in obstetrics). I think it's great timing right before school starts. My advice to future CNMs is to get as much labor and delivery experience as possible. 1 year may be acceptable to schools but it really isn't enough. There is so much to learn and much of it comes from experience.