 | Congratulations! You peed on the stick and you got a positive result! You are expecting a beautiful new baby and you and your partner are over the moon. The next ten months will be filled with choices. You will plan and prepare and practically live in the baby section of Target and in Babys'R'Us. You will decorate your nursery and throw parties. You will read every baby name book you can find, but perhaps the most important choice you will make is the first one you make: The one choice that will impact your birth more than any other is choosing your care provider. |
Now you may ask, "What's so important about what care provider I choose? They all went to medical school, didn't they?" Well your care provider determines a lot about how your pregnancy and your birth will go. They determine your birth location, setting and environment. They determine what types of testing and procedures will be recommended during your pregnancy and birth. They determine how involved you will or will not be in decisions made regarding your pregnancy, birth, and baby. They will determine who will be with you when you labor and birth. They will determine what you do and don't have access to while you labor and birth. Really the care provider sets the entire tone and environment of your pregnancy and birth! It seems like an easy choice to make, but really it should be one that is very well thought out and intentional. You are hiring someone to provide you with care while you grow and birth a new addition to your family. Giving birth is a life altering experience and how you birth has lasting effects on you and your baby. Following some simple advice when choosing this person can make a profound impact on your pregnancy and birth.
When considering a care provider, ask yourself what your perfect birth looks like. Where do you want to give birth? If you are choosing a hospital birth, research hospitals FIRST. Certain doctors practice at certain hospitals (for example, if you notice a specific hospital has a 44% C-section rate, you may want to avoid doctors who deliver there). Once your decide which birth center or hospital you want to give birth at, you have narrowed down your search exponentially. Find out which providers practice at your birth location and ask around for opinions from those you trust - friends, church members, family, mom groups, etc. Ask other women who have birthed with these providers what they're experience was. Look online to see if you can find reviews of these providers. Once you have the list even more narrowed down, call and schedule a consultation, NOT an appointment. Explain that you're pregnant and you would like to meet with the doctor or midwife to see if they are the right fit for your family. This should be at no cost to you. These providers want your business and should be willing to meet with you before they are officially hired. When you go to see these providers, bring pen and paper (or a tablet) so that you can ask open ended and effective questions to find out early in the game if this provider is a good fit for you and your birth. You will find a list of suggested questions to ask your providers here.
This may seem like a lot of work to put in to make a seemingly simple choice, but do this work early on and your pregnancy and birth will benefit greatly from it. You will experience less stress and frustration and the process will go much more smoothly as a result.
Now, you may be reading this late in the game. You may be well into your pregnancy (heck you may in the final weeks or days of your pregnancy!) and you've only recently realized your care provider is not on the same page as your. Trust me when I say it is never too late to switch care providers! Your doctor or midwife is YOUR employee. They work for you and it is their job to offer you evidence based care that sets you and your baby up for the best birth possible. If you have found yourself at odds with your care provider I urge you to reach out to other providers in the area and find someone who is going to give you the care you are paying them for.
To help you in your search for your perfect care provider, below you will find a list of facilities and providers in the area. Facilities and providers I personally recommend can be found in bold print.
Hospitals
Orange Park Medical Center / 2001 Kingsley Ave. Orange Park, Fl 32073 / (904) 276-8500
Shands-UF Health Jacksonville / 655 w. 8th St. Jacksonville, Fl 32209 / (904) 244-0411
Naval Hospital Jacksonville / 2080 Child. St. Jacksonville, Fl 32214 / (904) 542-7300
Memorial Hospital / 3625 University Blvd. S. Jacksonville, Fl 32216 / (904) 399-6111
St. Vincent's Hospital Riverside / 2627 Riverside Ave. Jacksonville, Fl 32204 / (904) 308-7372
St. Lukes Family Birth Place / 4201 Belfort Rd. Jacksonville, Fl 32216 / (904) 296-4345
Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville / 800 Prudential Dr. Jacksonville, Fl 32207 / (904) 202-2000
Baptist Medical Center Beaches / 1350 13th Ave. S. Jacksonville Beach, Fl 32250 / (904) 627-2900
Baptist Medical Center South / 14550 Old St. Augustine Rd. Jacksonville, Fl 32258 / (904) 271-6000
Birth Centers
Birth Center of Jacksonville / 804 Margaret St. Jacksonville, Fl 32204 / (904) 633-3333
Growing Families Birth Center / 3750 US 1 South Ste. A, St. Augustine, Fl 32086 / (904) 460-2771
Fruitful Vine Midwifery Services / 1539 Parental Home rd. Jacksonville, Fl 32216 / (904) 855-4211
OBGYN Offices Recommended by Full Spectrum Birth Services
Dy. Hyler OBGYN / 1560 Kingsley Ave. Suite 4, Orange Park, Fl 32073 / (904) 264-1628
Full Circle Women's Care / 6817 Southpoint Pkwy Suite 2204, Jacksonville, Fl 32216 / (904) 674-0022
I hope you have found this information very helpful and I hope that it assists you in choosing the perfect provider for your perfect birthing experience.
If you would like to talk to me about choosing a provider, crafting a birth or postpartum plan, or get information on the best way to prepare for birth at your chosen facility, contact me today at [email protected]. I will gladly set up a pregnancy planning session to get you the information you need.
When considering a care provider, ask yourself what your perfect birth looks like. Where do you want to give birth? If you are choosing a hospital birth, research hospitals FIRST. Certain doctors practice at certain hospitals (for example, if you notice a specific hospital has a 44% C-section rate, you may want to avoid doctors who deliver there). Once your decide which birth center or hospital you want to give birth at, you have narrowed down your search exponentially. Find out which providers practice at your birth location and ask around for opinions from those you trust - friends, church members, family, mom groups, etc. Ask other women who have birthed with these providers what they're experience was. Look online to see if you can find reviews of these providers. Once you have the list even more narrowed down, call and schedule a consultation, NOT an appointment. Explain that you're pregnant and you would like to meet with the doctor or midwife to see if they are the right fit for your family. This should be at no cost to you. These providers want your business and should be willing to meet with you before they are officially hired. When you go to see these providers, bring pen and paper (or a tablet) so that you can ask open ended and effective questions to find out early in the game if this provider is a good fit for you and your birth. You will find a list of suggested questions to ask your providers here.
This may seem like a lot of work to put in to make a seemingly simple choice, but do this work early on and your pregnancy and birth will benefit greatly from it. You will experience less stress and frustration and the process will go much more smoothly as a result.
Now, you may be reading this late in the game. You may be well into your pregnancy (heck you may in the final weeks or days of your pregnancy!) and you've only recently realized your care provider is not on the same page as your. Trust me when I say it is never too late to switch care providers! Your doctor or midwife is YOUR employee. They work for you and it is their job to offer you evidence based care that sets you and your baby up for the best birth possible. If you have found yourself at odds with your care provider I urge you to reach out to other providers in the area and find someone who is going to give you the care you are paying them for.
To help you in your search for your perfect care provider, below you will find a list of facilities and providers in the area. Facilities and providers I personally recommend can be found in bold print.
Hospitals
Orange Park Medical Center / 2001 Kingsley Ave. Orange Park, Fl 32073 / (904) 276-8500
Shands-UF Health Jacksonville / 655 w. 8th St. Jacksonville, Fl 32209 / (904) 244-0411
Naval Hospital Jacksonville / 2080 Child. St. Jacksonville, Fl 32214 / (904) 542-7300
Memorial Hospital / 3625 University Blvd. S. Jacksonville, Fl 32216 / (904) 399-6111
St. Vincent's Hospital Riverside / 2627 Riverside Ave. Jacksonville, Fl 32204 / (904) 308-7372
St. Lukes Family Birth Place / 4201 Belfort Rd. Jacksonville, Fl 32216 / (904) 296-4345
Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville / 800 Prudential Dr. Jacksonville, Fl 32207 / (904) 202-2000
Baptist Medical Center Beaches / 1350 13th Ave. S. Jacksonville Beach, Fl 32250 / (904) 627-2900
Baptist Medical Center South / 14550 Old St. Augustine Rd. Jacksonville, Fl 32258 / (904) 271-6000
Birth Centers
Birth Center of Jacksonville / 804 Margaret St. Jacksonville, Fl 32204 / (904) 633-3333
Growing Families Birth Center / 3750 US 1 South Ste. A, St. Augustine, Fl 32086 / (904) 460-2771
Fruitful Vine Midwifery Services / 1539 Parental Home rd. Jacksonville, Fl 32216 / (904) 855-4211
OBGYN Offices Recommended by Full Spectrum Birth Services
Dy. Hyler OBGYN / 1560 Kingsley Ave. Suite 4, Orange Park, Fl 32073 / (904) 264-1628
Full Circle Women's Care / 6817 Southpoint Pkwy Suite 2204, Jacksonville, Fl 32216 / (904) 674-0022
I hope you have found this information very helpful and I hope that it assists you in choosing the perfect provider for your perfect birthing experience.
If you would like to talk to me about choosing a provider, crafting a birth or postpartum plan, or get information on the best way to prepare for birth at your chosen facility, contact me today at [email protected]. I will gladly set up a pregnancy planning session to get you the information you need.
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