Anyone given birth in the US?

[bvimum]

I'd be grateful for any advice - my 1st and 2nd were both born in London but I'm now living in the Caribbean and considering having my 3rd (due in March 2010) in the US, possibly Miami, Florida. I'd like a natural birth but within a hospital. Does anyone know of a hospital where the care is midwife, as opposed to obs/gyn, led? What about hiring a doula? And a mother's help to look after DS1 and 2 while I give birth? Thank you for any information!

No specific information here but I am American and I can say that midwife-led care is not the norm in the states, at least not in hospitals. You can absolutely hire a doula (try dona.org) to help you get a natural birth in a medical setting. Or if you think you'd feel comfortable in a birthing center, the care there would be midwife-led. A google search for "florida midwives" turns up lots of information. Good luck!

Hi my sister in law lives in the Caribbean and gave birth in NY, and had a highly medicalised birth twice and she had a stratight forward pregnancy, I think you may have to do a lot of looking to find a natural birth.

This community on livejournal is very active and the posters are mainly in the US, so you might find it helpful (using the search function searches the whole of livejournal.com so not helpful unfortunately)

community.livejournal.com/naturalbirth/

Also found this:
www.miamibirth.com/

I believe most midwives are independent and you hire one who will come into the hospital with you to help you give birth. There are also birth centres which are mainly midwife-run. The thing which always surprises me is I don't think they use gas and air at all!

It's worth watching "The Business of Being Born" if you can, though I'm not sure of the ratio of truth:bias/scaremongering (I watched it when PG so can't remember much). The births shown are a lot far removed from the typical UK hospital birth experience.

Good luck!

Oops sorry, ignore that miamibirth.com link, it's a search engine/domain squatter thing. I will try to find another site.

Here: www.miamimaternitycenter.net/

Thank you all very much. I thought about a birthing centre but worried about a difficult labour needing medical intervention at the end, which has happened both previous times! I'd like to be with a midwife and possibly doula, with dr only called if absolutely necessary... Midwives in the US seem to be more nurses. Thanks though, I'll keep looking - 3 months to go!

It's worth signing up to a US-based natural birth forum and asking for advice. If livejournal is a bit daunting (I have an account, I could post a question for you if you like?) try mothering.commune, or maybe a yahoo group?

I just found this site too which might help:

gentlebirth.org/archives/bestcare.html

Ooh just found this site too: midwifeanddoula.com/

Dear BertieBotts - thanks so much for your research and links. I'm looking them up now and have just watched a home water birth on the livejournal site, which moved me to tears (blame pregnancy hormones!) I so want a good, peaceful birth this time. I just need the right help to make it happen. Thanks again for your help.