first timer with questions.....

Google Birth Network to see if there is one in your area. They can hook you up with some wonderful classes, doulas, CNM's, home births (if legal in your state), water births and alternative techniques. My local chapter has monthly classes for parents and childbirth professionals. They are great, wonderful ways to meet people with the same ideas and thoughts.

If Birth Network doesn't exist in your area, something very similar might exist. They have been a giant wealth of info for me and I found them on google one day. If you need additional help, PM me and I can get you in contact with the one here where I live and she might have resources for you or ideas for places for you to try in your area.

I just tried Birth Network in WV and found lots of good sites that would be a great step in the right direction for you. Email them and see what's in your area. Doulas also often have a huge amount of information on the type of birth you are interested in with your child. Here is one site I found....

http://members.aol.com/doulainwv/index.html

Good luck!!!!

Hi! I'm a future (starting in the fall) midwifery student, also an L&D RN with some experience with midwifery. See if any of this helps...

Check with your insurance company by looking first at the list of providers that they cover. Sometimes midwives are in practice in the same group as OB/GYNs. Sometimes midwives have practices of their own. You could also look on the American College of Nurse midwives website, I think they may have links to help you find a midwife: http://www.midwife.org/

Midwives do tend to stay with you (or nearby) during the entire (or most of) the delivery. They use alternative methods of pain management such as breathing/relaxation, showers, bathtubs, walking, birthing balls, etc. They do tend to have lower c-section rates and less interventions (induction with medications, episiotomies, epidurals, forceps, etc).

Most certified nurse midwives that do deliveries have hospital privilages, at least in the area where they work. Usually these are the midwives that work with a group of doctors.

Midwives are a great way to have a baby (I think). I know that I will choose one for myself when I have a baby. But they aren't for everyone. Make sure that you discuss with any provider your expectations about your delivery. Also when planning to deliver a baby, go into it with an open mind with an ultimate goal of a healthy baby (not a lady partsl delivery) because sometimes things can happen that are out of your control and going in with an open mind about things will help prevent you feeling disappointed. In most cases, childbirth is an uncomplicated situation with good outcomes but just allow yourself to be open-minded. Also, if you can't find a midwife in your area, remember that if you discuss your feelings about birth with an OB/GYN, you can probably still have a natural birth. Hope this helps! Sorry it's so long :)

I'm only a pre-nursing student but have future dreams of a CNM, hopefully in a free-standing birth center (maybe even my own!)

Anyway, I had both my kids in a hospital under the care of an OB. I used the bradley method. I worked with my doctor and he worked with me and I had a completely natural delivery for both my kids (no epi, no narcs, no pitocin, no fetal monitors strapped to me, just occasional doppler). If I did not have those classes...and my husband!...I could not have done it. It was the most incredible experience for both my husband and me!

www.bradleybirth.com