midwives and delivery

if you have a home birth the midwife will be present. Hospital based midwives vary widely on how much time they spend with patients during labor. A doula will stay with you through the entire process as well.

Having a doctor there all the time would not likely change outcomes. The L & D nurses are highly trained to spot problems and call the doctor when needed. Larger hospitals usually have a doctor on the floor at all times.

I had a midwife deliver my firstborn in a Kaiser hospital. No difference except like the other poster said, there is always a MD on the floor.

I practice as a CNM in a smaller, community hospital. There are 3 CNMs that attend births here. We come to be with the patient whenever she decides she wants or needs her midwife. If it's upon admission, so be it. And we stay until the birth is done, and mommy and baby are tucked in and nursing well. It definitely depends on where you go. Every midwife is going to have a different policy about these things. Oh, and we do have a collaborating physician, but he does not need to be in the building.

Oh, and by the way, in my experience, it would be a nightmare if docs were called to spend much time with a laboring woman. They are usually not the most patient types and have trouble "doing nothing", which is exactly what needs to be done while letting nature take it's course... Calling the doc too soon is a great way to increase your chance for a vacuum or forceps birth, episiotomy, cesarean, etc.