Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Where to VBAC: Valley Med Center or Group Health
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April 23, 2014 at 6:54 pm #611119
UrbanFabulousParticipantI want to have a hospital VBAC with a midwife. It looks like my only options are Valley Medical Center or Group Health. Can all you lovely mamas share your experiences with either birthing center?
Our current insurance covers Valley, but we found an open enrollment loop hole. However, if we switch to Group Health for the remainder of the year my daughter can’t see her pediatrician at Swedish for awhile.
April 23, 2014 at 9:08 pm #807367
kayoParticipantI delivered both my kids at Group Health with midwives from NeighborCare. I am sure I avoided a C-section with my first only because I delivered at GH with this group of wonderful midwives. Are you sure your insurance won’t cover GH if you went through a clinic like NeighborCare? We did not have GH insurance with either kid (we have Premera), but we were still able to deliver at their hospital by using the NeighborCare midwives. http://www.neighborcare.org/clinics/medical
I definitely give high marks to Group Health for both of my positive (though very different) birth experiences. Also, a Doula was a great help our second time. Best of luck to you.
April 23, 2014 at 11:58 pm #807368
esheymcParticipantI used Ali Lewis, MD at Northwest Hosp. with a midwife assist through RainyCity midwifery. I did a successful VBAC. I loved her and I loved my midwife Beth Coyote.
April 24, 2014 at 1:35 am #807369
UrbanFabulousParticipantWe used Beth for our first. :)
April 24, 2014 at 6:20 pm #807370
herongrrrlParticipantDoes your insurance cover Sally Avenson? She has privileges at Group Health, so maybe there’s a loophole there, and last time I checked she would attend VBACs. She is wonderful about not intervening when it isn’t necessary. As a doula, I have attended several births with her both at home and at GH and I have seen her do some amazing things to prevent unnecessary interventions with great outcomes. I’ve never attended a birth at Valley but I have heard other doulas say they aren’t a great place for natural birth, so I would assume VBACs would go with that…it’s been around 6 years since I last practiced, though, so things may have changed.
I wish you the very best of luck. I know it is SO frustrating to try to have a VBAC here now…when I was pregnant with my youngest I had to hunt high and low for a midwife willing to help me at all. If you haven’t considered it before, I highly recommend hiring a doula to help you–Rebecca Shepherd at Sacred Sprout was absolutely phenomenal for us.
Have you connected with the local ICAN group? They might be able to give you some insight about the hospital issue as well. http://icanseattle.wordpress.com/
I wish you the very best of luck!
April 26, 2014 at 7:28 pm #807371
UrbanFabulousParticipantSee, I talked to Sally because I would want to work with her, but she said that while she accepts my insurance, Group Health would be out of network. That means my insurance will only cover 60%. Imagine what that would be if I need a second C-section! I believe my first one was in the 30-40k range. If I’m going to work with Sally I definitely just want to switch the insurance because it will be way less out of pocket.
I used a doula with my daughter and she was fabulous! It was Brenda Bancroft from Fruit of the Womb. She was working as the receptionist at Rainy City Midwifery at the time. She is amazing!
April 28, 2014 at 6:43 pm #807372
esheymcParticipantHave you talked to Beth about her suggestions? She knows lots of folks. Dr. Lewis loves Beth and vice versa and they were my dream team. I know she sometimes works out of UW Hosp. too.
April 28, 2014 at 7:02 pm #807373
WSN_HelenMemberI had my VBAC with Michelle Grandy and the University of Washington midwives. They were excellent and 100% supportive. This was right before they moved up to Northgate though, so not sure it would be worth the commute for you. I am having my 3rd VBAC (once a VBAC, always a VBAC, right?) with Rainy City coincidentally. Hope it works out.
April 28, 2014 at 11:50 pm #807374
UrbanFabulousParticipantesheymc- Beth suggested that I see Rainy City for all my pre-natal work and then transfer to an OB for the delivery. She or Lynn would then attend as a doula. The only reason I’m not super comfortable with that is I had a horrible birth experience with my daughter and a lot of it was from trying to have an out of hospital birth, needing a C-section, and walking into a hospital where no one had seen me before. The level of care was atrocious, in large part we thought, because I wasn’t a specific doctor’s patient.
WSN_Helen- I don’t really want to drive to Northgate with my toddler, but I will look into that option! Are you planning a home birth with Rainy City then?
April 28, 2014 at 11:55 pm #807375
LindseyParticipantI had my son a year ago with Michelle Grandy and the UW Midwives. It was a VB but in the course of talking with her, I learned that since the move to Northwest Hospital, they can no longer do VBACs. I think it has something to do with the hopsital’s rules. Too bad, because I thought that they were fabulous. It’s been a year, so maybe things have changed.
April 29, 2014 at 1:12 am #807376
WSN_HelenMemberThat’s too bad about the facility restriction. I had such a good experience on the campus hospital. There might be some UW affiliated OBs who are VBAC supportive, although I don’t know any names offhand. From word of mouth, I do have a friend who delivered her 2nd and 3rd sons (both VBACs) at Valley and was successful. With #2 she pushed for almost 3 hours and had a lot of staff support. That OB is now retired but she had Dr Kovak for #3.
April 29, 2014 at 6:27 pm #807377
esheymcParticipantI too was trying to have an out of hospital birth with my first and ended up at UW. They actually let me try doing it naturally until it was determined that was no longer safe. I really liked UW. I did all my pre natal at Rainy city with my second (VBAC) and prefer the care there. She reccommended Dr. Ali Lewis who was totally supportive of a VBAC. It has been 2 years (almost) so I am not sure where she is located these days and what the rules are but just know that I feel your pain in terms of trying to do a VBAC. It shouldn’t be so complicated. But I applaud you for doing your homework and doing what is right for you. Good luck and cheers to a happy healthy baby and mama.
April 29, 2014 at 11:39 pm #807378
UrbanFabulousParticipantIf I do decide to switch back to Rainy City I was wanting to have Dr. Lewis do the birth. I think that may be another great fit. I’ll have to chat with my husband more about this option.
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