Midwifery Today Community

 Hello ladies!  I'm wondering if anyone here might be able to speak tot he birth climate in Pittsburgh?  I understand that they have a free standing birth center, but I also have been told than other than that women have only one choice for a L&D hospital in the city.  I wonder how active the natural birth community is in Pittsburgh? 

Any comments or suggestions for blogs or groups would be welcome!

Thank you!

Hi!

Well, i have been an OB Rn in Pittsburgh for 2 years now....an aspiring midwife also.  We do have 1 freestanding birthcenter--it is the ONLY one in greater PGH. They are small and limited, but still a phenomenal place! I've lived here in Greater PGH since 2004--and this is still a very medical based birthing culture by my assessment. Pregnant women wanting midwifery care have 2 options--the Birth Center, and the Midwives group at Magee Women's Hospital. There are 2 other hospitals, West Penn Allegheny and UPMC Mercy, that have L&D suites with attached NICU capabilities, but neither of those hospitals offer Midwife priveleges(to my knowledge) If anyone else can speak to this, please do. I am not 100% sure. I am currently employed at a regional hospital about 30 minutes east of downtown. We have a 10-bed birthing suite and a 22-bed postpartum unit with 4 triage rooms......and no midwifes in sight. :(   I'm working on getting birthing experience there as I work thought my bachelors in Nursing and then will move on to Midwife education. I will say that to practice as a midwife in PGH, and to have priveleges at the hospitals you must be a CNM with at least a bachelors in Nursing, although I was told Magee prefers a Master's degree and at least 5-10 years of L&D experience.

In my limited experience here i can tell you that our city views pregnancy and childbirth in a very medical light. I don't see much around here regarding holistic and natural birthing. I know that i myself wanted to have a natural water birth, and our birth center doesn't have that as a resource. I may end up having a water birth at home.

Hope that was helpful!

heidi

 Actually UPMC Mercy now gives privaleges to the Midwives from the birthing center and I think they will even do planned hospital births - not just come with patients who transfer.  I strongly agree that birth in this city is terribly medical, as a doula I am increasingly frustrated with what I keep hearing.  I've only attended one birth here and I was absolutely appalled by its management.  (I've been to births in other places - including high risk and it wasn't so bad).  Good luck - and we all need to work really hard to change the culture!!!

 Well, I'm a little late here...but I'll chime in saying that what I know of the birth climate in Pgh. is that it is medical.  However, I live 2 hrs. north of Pgh. and it is WORSE here...a mama from our ICAN chapter actually went to Pgh. to birth with "Mr. Midwife" at Magee---he was the closest one willing to do an external version on a mom with a previous C/S.  The version worked, and when she started labor, she drove to Pgh. and had an excellent experience there.  A few friends of mine have had medically-managed births---one of them with the Magee midwives group.

I do know that there is a doula group, a VBAC support group through the Birthing Center, and some CPMs a bit out of the city doing homebirths.  So...there are options for sure...you probably just have to seek them out.  You might want to look on mothering.com's discussion boards.

Hi Sei,  I am also about 2 hours north of Pgh and am looking for a bit of a network of knowledge while I plan out this pregnancy.

Could we chat more about this? I am considering making the drive down to the birth center, or else finding a midwife to help us do it at home. 

Thanks!  my email is sjb01 (at) hampshire.edu.