I urge all moms, not just moms who have had bad experiences, to go to www.thebirthsurvey.com and put in your birth information. It is important for those coming after us to know the truth about the providers we trust with our bodies and babies. It is anonymous and you can be honest about your experiences with any provider.
I hope that all of those who have had bad experiences with Paula will go to the site and leave their input and experience. The public needs to know.
www.thebirthsurvey.com
6 comments:
I had an incredibly, overwhelmingly positive experience with Paula Schnebelt as my midwife. I would recommend her to anyone and everyone I know who is looking for a midwife. She is loving, thoughtful, respectful of differences, knowledgeable about her field and has become a good friend of mine. I trust her completely as my midwife and friend.
I find it very funny that someone who is signed in as "The Heart of Midwifery", which is hPaula's website, has left this comment. So, did she have a positive experience with herself or is she instructing someone to leave a positive comment for her. It makes me wonder the validity of this comment and if it was Pauls who left it herself or if she asked someone else to leave it for her. I would hope that if someone had a good experience with her that they would at least put their first name and Last initial so we don't have to doubt who is leaving the comment. If it IS her leaving this, I think that it is very sorry and sad that she has to do that. Why don't you find actual clients who are happy with your work and get them to leave comments? or find one of your clients who actually came back to her for their second birth. But as I know and she does too, that she's not getting repeat clients. Huh. Wonder why.
I don't want to get into a war of words but I am posting on this blog to say to any expectant mother reading this, to reconsider your choice of choosing Paula as your midwife and reconsider having a homebirth. I wish someone had said to me, what I am about to say to you.
Although I have a friend that had a good birth experience with Paula, a friend which I used as my reference for the decision to have Paula as my midwife. I sit here now, after the fact, and beseech any new mother reading this to not make the same regretful mistake as I made.
What a tragic mistake it was to literally put my baby's life in incapable hands. While I agree that Paula is a caring person, I wholeheartedly do not believe she has the necessary skills/capabilities of dealing with an EMERGENCY situation. A number of things went wrong the day my baby was born. To all new mothers out there, I urge you to steer away from the romantic homebirth notions that you hear and read about. Because those notions can quickly turn to a nightmare that you never expected you would see. I never imagined I would have the difficulties that occurred during my birth. I had the healthiest pregnancy any woman could have. Frankly, I also had the 'that would never happen to me' attitude. Please, please, please put your unborn child's life in the trained capable hands of today's medical professionals instead, because you can never know what will go wrong during your birth.
It’s a decision that I will regret for the rest of my life. However, If I can help but one mother make a better decision than I made....well, then I feel at least I have done something good from my tragic situation.
Thank you for coming forward with your truth. I am so sorry you had to go through that.
For those out there reading this, I want to urge you not to discount homebirth as an option though. There are many well trained, experienced, certified, knowledgeable and capable midwives out there who would have probably handled your situation in a different manner, thus preventing the horrible experience that you had. Again, I am so sorry that she misused her trust your trust in her. I can only say that I know that in someone else's hands, who is not so prideful and deceitful, things may have turned out differently.
It is so important that any birthing family researches their choices and does not take references for granted. Meet all the providers you can, ask the important questions, and figure out who is the best person for you, whether that be in a hospital, a birth center, or at home with a qualified midwife.
Good luck to all those searching on their quest.
It's vital that any childbirth provider is thoroughly researched - whether at home or at the hospital. However, at least with a poor care provider in a hospital, you have other staff to come in and salvage the situation. Certainly you can have bad outcomes in the hospital, and it's vital to know who your care providers are!
But when choosing a midwife, you really need to know if she can handle the rare emergency. Otherwise, you would have the baby alone, right? You want someone there with the ability to pay close attention, notice any anomalies and properly act as needed.
Outside of what you might already consider when researching a midwife - such as training, experience and licensing - ask for references! And I don't mean just references from those who had an easy, uncomplicated birth.
Ask for a reference from a family who had a shoulder dystocia, one who had a postpartum hemorrhage, and also from one who transported to the hospital.
How did the midwife handle those situations? Did she remain calm? Did she act efficiently and with skill? Did she solve the situation or adequately get professional assistance and/or transport to the hospital?
Also ask when the midwife arrived and how long she was with the laboring mama. Was mom and baby monitored from active labor forward?
Unfortunately, licensing does NOT mean everything! That cannot be enough to satisfy you.
There are wonderful, experienced and skilled midwives in our area. Paired with a healthy mom, good prenatal care and a hospital within a reasonable distance - the odds are outstanding that one will have a great, healthy birth. In fact, the scientific research supports that.
I had a shoulder dystocia presentation with one of my babies, born under Paula's care. She skillfully and quickly handled the situation and got me out of the birthing tub and in a position to help get the baby out. Within minutes, I was holding my beautiful daughter in my arms, perfectly healthy and fine. I am greatful that Paula demonstrating such quick thinking and skill.
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