Midwives: they're not just for pregnant women anymore. Without getting into too much detail for my male and/or squeamish readers, I have to share how much I loved my recent well-woman visit at a Baltimore-area midwife.
During my last such visit with a doctor, I was rushed in and out and had to coax her to stay in the room for a few extra minutes so I could ask some questions (and the less said about where and how she ordered lunch that day, the better).
During my time with my midwife, however, I didn't feel like a patient, a number or a billable hour. I felt like a real, unique person who had questions, concerns and--apparently--a very healthy uterus. In all my years of visits to doctors, no one ever told me that my body was healthy. My midwife told me that my body was healthy and normal, giving me not only reassurance, but also dignity.
Forget all the statistics and research about how beneficial midwives can be for women, babies and families. Our health is about choosing the care that will make us comfortable and secure. For many women, that means seeing a doctor. For me, that now means seeing a midwife.
4 comments:
Woo woo.
A lot has changed since November 4, 1979, don't you think?
Awesome, glad to hear you had a good experience. I've been so amazed at how great the midwife appts are compared to my old OB/GYn appts. I had a well-woman visit a couple of weeks ago and she spent nearly 1.5 hours with me. SERIOUSLY. Amazing.
I have to admit I had an awful experience with a midwife when I lived in Fargo. He was a PhD (in what, I don't know), he was snippy, he didn't listen to any of the issues I was having or the questions I had. He treated me like a lying child who had misbehaved, and refused to believe that a 21-year-old woman on birth control wasn't sexually active. It was an awful experience, unlike anything I'd ever had with a doctor, and I vowed I would not go back to a midwife for a well-woman exam if I could possibly help it.
So I'm glad you had a good experience.
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