Midwife in Rockville/Bethesda Area

I agree that having a midwife assisted birth is wonderful -- they are less likely to try various interventions than an OB. I also think that having midwives change shifts during your labor is o.k. -- if you've met all the midwives in the practice through the course of your prenatal visits, you should be familiar with all of them anyway.

I delivered baby #2 and baby #3 completely naturally at a birth center in Annapolis -- there are actually two there -- Bay Area Midwifery and Special Beginnings. It was WONDERFUL. I would recommend a birth center to everyone! And for baby #2, the midwife who was with me at the beginning was different than the one with me at the end, but I have no idea when they changed! (LOL -- I was too busy with other things to notice!) The nurse there (a midwife in training) was with me the whole time.

If you really want a natural birth, maybe you could consider a birth center, even though it's not in the Rockville area.

I went to Midwifery Care Associates (son born 2007) and was very satisfied and feel that they are dedicated to natural childbirth. Their practice worked similar to another midwifery practice I went to when I lived in RI. They ensured that I alternated my visits with each of the midwives so I would get to know them all. I don't see how it could work any other way actually - you never know when your patients will go into labor and I wouldn't want an overtired midwife who delivered babies during the day and night. So I agree with the shifts. They are nothing like regular ob/gyns in their philosophy and care. Karen stayed with me throughout the entire labor/birth, helping me through the contractions and supporting my husband and me in any way she could.

As for natural childbirth - I delivered all 3 of my children naturally - but you have to keep in mind that they will do whatever is safest for you and the baby. My last baby's heart rate was dropping during contractions and we were forced to induce (I now live abroad so this was with midwives but not with MCA). There was even talk that I might have to get a c-section, but luckily things went quickly enough where I was able to deliver naturally. My point is that you can have a "birth plan" - but sometimes the situation becomes out of our control and we have to go with the flow.

Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions about my experiences and best of luck to you!

I don't know a midwife, but just wanted to share that I delivered my DS in a hospital without any intervention or medications using the homestudy course for "Hypnobabies". It was amazing. My husband was there with me and supportive, but had not listened to any of the CDs and so I was "on my own" in managing my mind and body (and loved it). And I was VERY skeptical and didn't "practice" as much as I was supposed to. I actually got the course so that I could have techniques to get to the hospital an hour away from our old home and it worked so well that I was over 8cm when I arrived, my doc almost didn't make it in time, and I never had the desire or need for intervention. It was great! (That said, I also had DD 2 1/2 years prior to in a hospital with an epidural and again, it was a wonderful experience.) Like PP said, you can have your goal for an unmedicated/no intervention birth, but understand that anything can happen and that the most important thing is a healthy mom and baby!
Happy birthing!

she may have been guarded because doctors these days are not beyond trying to prosecute midwives who attend home births, a doctor will try very hard to make you believe that a home birth is asking for a tragedy, but i am here to tell you that a home birth is less stressful and more personally empowering then a routine hospital birth could ever be. my baby was born in our apartment bathroom on december 08, 2009.not because we planned it that way, but because we knew that my obgyn was not about to be bothered to answer his phone at 2 am. my babys birth was attended by her father, and some very shocked emts who arrived just a few minutes later, our baby is very healthy, with no problems of any sort at all, despite being born at 28 weeks.
K. h.