After having a hospital birth with my first child, I knew I wanted the birth of my second child to be different. Therefore, I switched from a large OB practice to the Birthing Cottage of Winter Park about halfway through my pregnancy. My experience was wonderful from beginning to end. The prenatal visits were great because the Cottage was so kid-friendly, with toys and movies to watch along with a friendly staff. I also found that the prenatal care was superior and more personalized than that which I had received at the OB’s office.
I was definitely happy with my birthing experience in March of 2005. Alice and Shannon attended my birth along with my doula, Kris Worischeck. Meg came in the next morning and was very helpful and positive. The experience was so different from my son’s birth. I definitely felt in control and supported during the birth of my daughter, with the staff letting nature take its course rather trying to intervene as so many OB‘s do these days. I also liked that I was free to eat and drink if I wanted to and that I wasn’t tied down by monitors and so forth. I also enjoyed wearing my own clothes, not having to fight to keep my baby with me, the home-like atmosphere, and the privacy provided at the birth center compared to the hospital experience. I decided not to have my son at the birth, so the fact I could be back home to him in a matter of hours (rather than days) was especially important to me.
See my article entitled Natural Birth Options for more information about the birth of my second child. It really was a positive experience for our family, from the prenatal care to the postpartum visits. My only complaint was that Alice was a little grumpy that night, but it is my understanding that she had delivered several babies that day and was very tired!
Have you recently had a baby at the Birthing Cottage of Winter Park? If so, please leave a comment so others can benefit from your experience.
Jan, the editor of the Central Florida Green Guide, is a former public school teacher who is now an unschooling mom. She strives to live naturally–especially when it comes to parenting her two young children. In addition to her work as a freelance writer and homeschool consultant, Jan is a distributor for Juice Plus+ and Usborne Books. Learn more about this crunchy WAHM by visiting her Squidoo lens, Living and Learning… Naturally.
Jan Zeiger
Heidi Crawford
Wendy
Jenny Wadley
Michelle ~ Reflection Of Light
Kristy ~ Wee Willie Winks
Gretchen Goel
Jill - Juice Plus
Elizabeth Ashe
Cat
Tara - Get Green Organics
Heather ~ Orlando Organics
Lisa Holt, RN, MS
Melissa Holmes
Kimberly ~ greenWell
organiccrusader
I also gave birth at the Cottage with my second child. It was the most amazing experience! I wish I would have had the courage to have my first one there.
I give the staff of the center an A++. I had both of my kids there. I felt supported and made to feel that I was doing very well all along.
At the time of my kids birth in 2002 and 2004, I was a busy Surgeon in the Caribbean. I had spent many long ears doing my Fellowships and Residencies so, I that at age 38 and 42, I was what is called an “elderly primigravida”.
At the time of my pregnancies, I was going thru a lot of adjustments; a new marriage, moving to the USA for the birth and so many others. I was also questioning if “traditional medicine” was always the best option.
My Caribbean OBGYN was a good friend. He was compassionate, caring, made me laugh, well informed. He could not give me what I wanted; a no intervention delivery…so I went to Orlando, flipped open the yellow pages and found Alice and her crew.
It was a phenomenal experience!!The antenatal care was top notch. Alice knows more than a lot of OBGYNS, she told me that Pregnancy was not a disease but a natural process. I was able when my time came to have my husband with me all the way. I had my Dianne Reeves Jazz Music and Candles . They really helped me and after, I was able to breast feed Prince right away and all three of slept on the bed together. I had practiced yoga during the last few weeks prior to delivery and had gone dancing the night before. With Prince, my labour lasted 3 hrs only. i only had a small tear, because he came flying out so quickly, but no episiootomy. We went home the same day.
With my daughter, I was not progressing and so at 10 hrs into labour , Alcie brought out some old fashioned but effective methods. I had her in the next 40 mins. Again I felt comfortable. My son was there for part of the process. He kept me walking thru the cottage. I was able to breast feed right away. For both kids, all I needed was provided. I would reccomend it highly to anyone!!!!
I had read Christine Northups book (Womens Bodies, Womens wisdom). I agreed with her that if I had a Hospital Birth, I was high on the list to get a section, Over 35 yrs, Female Physician,etc. I did not want that nor an epidural which was commonly used. I did not want pain meds which could make the baby be born “flat”It was an excellent choice !!!
Thanks so much for sharing your story!
I had my third son there, the experience was great and so loving, although my second son was born at special beginnings in Orlando,fl which just closed down after more than 25 years in business. I loved the great staff at the birthing cottage and continue to go there for check ups.
Very nice story! Nice to see a physician having out of hospital birth! Kudos!
I was *supposed* to have my daughter at the Birthing Cottage, but my care was dropped (they call it transferred) at 2am the day I hit 41 weeks 5 days. Apparently 45 second long contractions are not enough to keep you there… My husband and I were sent alone and tired to the hospital where I ended up having an unnecessary cesarean after a failed augmentation of labor. We were told that our midwife could not accompany us as we were being walked out the door.
I loved my midwives throughout my prenatal care. I loved the apprentice midwives and Shannon. I loved the coziness of the cottage and the positive feeling I got every time I stepped in the door, but little red flags came up along the way that I ignored, such as the 41 week 5 day consent to induction.
My advice, in choosing any care provider, is to trust your instincts. Unfortunately, I can not provide any type of positive referral to the Birthing Cottage.
Best part is, turns out, that my daughter’s newborn exam says she was only 41 weeks at birth….not 41 weeks 5 days. So much for reliability of early ultrasound dating!
Thanks for sharing your story.
I am so blessed that I had an oppurtunity to have my second son at the Birthing Cottage of Winter Park. I heard of the Birthing Cottage through my cousin Tabitha which further along her preganncy at the time. From the first day I walked in and met Barb I was amazed at the friendliness, coziness, and homely place it represented. I new I was there to stay, and have my baby there. Alice is great and has alot of knowledge for her career. Barb is a wonderful helper and listener. Karen was a great person and very good lamaze teacher. The prenatal care was great and it is a kids place they had videos, and toys available for my son to see as I entered in with the mid-wife for my prenatal visits. My husband and I decided for my son to be present for the babies birth so there was so much information given to educate him on what he would come to be a part of welcoming his brother into the world. For my delivery in August 2001 Dianne was my mid-wife and Karen assited, my labor was great and it took about 3 hours. After the baby was born Karen walked me through the whole breast feeding process, and the baby latched on great. I am very staisfied with my Birthing Cottage experience and recommend over my hospital birth anyday. I had my older son in the hospital, and I didn’t like the in and out diffrent staff, and it wasn’t even my OB that was there for delivery. I was strapped to these monitors could not walk around or drink anything. It was a place similar to home, there was the nose of machines and talking between staff as if I was not there. Then I didn’t know the people that were going to deliver my baby and care for us. All my future baby’s will be delivered at the Birthing Cottage of WInter Park, if God wills it.
I had my daughter here almost 5 years ago. Alice was great. Barb was wonderful and I absolutely recomend it.
Here’s a different perspective on the Birthing Cottage.
I moved to Orlando looking for work as a doula. I found a job at The Birthing Cottage working as a birth assistant. I ended up quitting very soon after I was hired, due to the level of negligence and terrible sanitation and care I witnessed. I wanted no part of this huge liability and potential lawsuits. I can’t say what the care used to be like, prior to spring of 2007. I had heard many wonderful things from people about the center. Most of those people had delivered a few years before hand. However, what I witnessed in my short time was terrifying.
They did not use appropriate cleaners needed to disinfect floors, sheets, etc. that had been exposed or soiled with blood, urine, feces, and amniotic fluids. Pinesol is NOT rated to kill that type of bacteria. They hardly used bleach on anything. They used clorox wipes (which do not contain bleach) to clean blood off the floor after a birth.
I found one of the staffer’s toddlers rummaging through a drawer of speculums that were to be inserted into patient’s vaginas. When I brought it to someone’s attention, they ignored me and left the speculums as they were to be used later on. The staff brought their children to work and the children had little or no supervision. The idea of a child crawling over dirty floors which could have blood and other fluids on them, then putting his fingers in his mouth and touching speculums was horrifying. (for both the women and the child)
I have had no medical training, yet someone tried to show me how to draw blood from a patient and start an IV. I flat out refused, as I know that it is illegal for me to perform medical proceedures. The staff did not wear gloves when taking blood or handling urine. They only changed the papers on the exam tables in the area that was under the patient’s behind and vagina. Meaning that the area that the former patient’s head was on, was now the area that the next person’s vagina and rear were sitting on. As well, I was supposed to be trained on how to do a pelvic exam. Again I refused. I would never want someone without proper medical schooling to be doing those things to me. Its dangerous and illegal.
I’m not squeemish and I certainly don’t approve of the way patients are treated in hospitals. I am due any day with my first baby, which will be born at home. I believe in natural and SAFE alternatives to the hospital setting. This is not a SAFE alternative.
I have spoken with other midwives and seen other birthing centers, and the conditions and standards of the Birthing Cottage are deplorable in comparison. As I have become more active in the natural birthing community, I have heard a lot of negative feedback about Alice and the center. You don’t have to take my word for it, but if you ask around and do some research you will find out how things are right now.
When I was working there, Alice was extremely hostile and rude to a 19 year old patient in labor. The poor girl was terrified and her young boyfriend was at a loss as to what to do. Alice told her to “Suck it up! Women have been doing this since the dawn of time, and you’re not the first!” A few hours later Alice transferred the patient. Alice told me that she was tired of hearing her bitch and moan, and that she wanted to go to bed since she’d been up for 3 days with other births. The patient was not at risk for infection or high blood pressure or stressed fetal heart tones. There was no real reason for transfer, other than Alice not wanting to deal with the patient.
I am only sharing what I saw. I would encourage any woman looking to birth there or at any facility for that matter to do some research before making a choice. Even if you had a previous birth there that was a great experience, things can change. Just like a favorite restaurant can change and go down hill, so can birth centers or caregivers. Find out how many lawsuits or health violations a facility or midwife or OB has. Before becoming pregnant myself, I checked out every midwife in the area. I not only read former patient testimonials, but I checked to see if and how many lawsuits and health violations they had. A few disgruntled patients aren’t a big deal, but a lawsuit or violation is.
I hope this helps someone.
In response to the previous comment made by “M”, I have worked at the Birthing Cottage for 6 years and at no time have I been asked to perform a vaginal exam nor start an IV. We employ an LPN who does all of our medical procedures not performed by the midwife.
As far as the cleanliness of our facility we comply with all the requirements to meet OSHA standards. “M” was here under 24 hours, obviously not enough time to see and understand all that is required at a birth and thereafter. I find it very distasteful that anyone would suggest that we do not change the paper on the exam table properly.
We give all of our patients a survey to fill out at the end of their birth and ask them to please be honest and candid. They can and have done this anonymously. These surveys are available to anyone who is interested in getting feedback from previous patients.
This is a child friendly facility, and as such at times there are several children here at one time, however they are always supervised. This is what attracts many of our patients.
We have been in practice for over 15 years and have served the community and patients in numerous ways.
I wish “M” a safe and happy homebirth and encourage her to come to visit us in the future.