Too late to switch? Advice please!

[alirebco]

I switched from an OB to a midwife/birth center at 27 weeks. Best decision ever! But they did what me to meet all 4 midwives at the center

[Indianamom2]

I had to switch at 30+ weeks with my second because my OB (who I loved) was moving across the country. In my case, I didn't have a ton of options and ended up with more of the "factory" approach practice, but as luck would have it, the OB that I liked the most delivered my son.

It may be harder to find an OB who will accept you at this late date, but in your position, I'd at least give it a try. Best wishes!!

[AnnieW625]

With DD1 I switched at 25 weeks (Jan. 1st) and the only issue for me was my insurance (Kaiser--all in one insurance and provider) was super slow about getting stuff over to my new provider, but at least they got my 17 week scan results over there so my dr. knew that I needed to have a second scan at between 30-34 weeks to make sure that my placenta previa had moved up. I did feel like I was constantly updating records though because the non vital records took forever to get to the new provider. Overall I was happy with the switch and we switched not because we didn't like the drs. at Kaiser it was because Kaiser wanted me to deliver at Hospital A, and wouldn't switch me to hospital B because I lived in the service area for hospital A vs. the service area for hospital B (I was 4 miles closer to clinic A, which was associated with hospital A and they wouldn't switch me to clinic B or let me treat with clinic A and deliver at hospital B). I would switch if you were not happy.

FWIW with DD1 my OB was on call until 2 am and I checked in at midnight. He got my measurements and said I was probably ready to go. He went off call and DD1 was born at 1 pm with the supervising OB for the med. large practice whom I had never met because he worked at another location. I was very happy with him. I wish I could say the same about the night lead nurse who IMHO was a bit crazy (and convinced me I should break my water instead of send me home; her replacement came in and looked at me 3 hrs. later and said "why are you here, you can live at 5 cm+ for a few days, but it was too late and I started pitocin). With DD2 my OB was on call as well, but came into check on me at about 8 am and told me he was going off call, he told me I'd have the baby in about 2 hours. Right after he left the head nurse came in and told me I was almost 9 cm dilated and I wasn't getting an epidural so I told the nurse to get a doctor and I wanted to have the baby after the next big round of contractions. I ended up having DD2 at 8:35 after pushing for 20 minutes and she was delivered by a resident I had never met. I came from a small city where there was one medical group and three or four OBs and you rotated in and out so I did think it was strange that I didn't have a doctor to call and tell him to go to the hospital, but in the end it worked out fine and I was just happy I delivered healthy babies.

[brittone2]

With my first pregnancy, I switched in my mid to late 2nd trimester to a midwifery practice from an impersonal, large ob/gyn practice that would have had me deliver at a hospital with pretty dated, non evidence based policies. It was a great decision and I never regretted it. I delivered in a hospital 45 mins away, but it was much more up to date with policies and evidence.

With my 3rd pregnancy, I saw the same midwifery practice that I used with my pregnancy with my DD. They were CNMs at a FSBC very close to a university teaching hospital. I really, really wanted a homebirth, but the various options I explored that I was fairly comfortable with didn't work for us (mw traveling too far and I have quick labors, etc). I had a great experience with the midwives I had been seeing at the FSBC, no complaints, but I had wanted a HB.

When I was like 36 or 37w, a local, experienced CNM who previously practiced at a local teaching hospital opened a solo HB practice. She had operated a HB practice years prior, then relocated, so she was experienced. She had privileges at the same teaching hospital, she was experienced, she had a good relationship with local hospital staff, etc. I had an uneventful pregnancy and we both felt comfortable with me switching into her care late in that pregnancy. We met, spent a lot of time talking, I saw her several times before I delivered, and that was actually more than I had seen some of the OBs and some of the MWs in previous practices. No regrets.

If you don't have any significant health issues in your pregnancy, I would explore switching.