> Another question: I am really excited that my sister is 6 weeks > pregnant and > she believes in breastfeeding. Her husband is military(navy) and she wants > to get referred out of the navy OB program to have a midwife and/or > homebirth. Does anyone have experience with how she could get herself > referred out. She has already been told by a "staff member" in the clinic > that she has no choice. The navy insurance will only cover her care in the > OB dept. She lives in Goosecreek SC. With all the experience my sister I > have we don't think she will have a satisfying birth experience > in the navy. Well, for what it is worth, I have had 2 births in military facilities. One at an Army Medical Center (horrible experience) and one at a Navy Hospital (very good experience). At the Navy hospital I asked for lots of "special" things (no IV, no fetal monitoring, walking during labor, no episiotomy, no artificial nipples, etc). I wrote a birth plan and every single one of my requests was honored. There were a few weird things (like no sanitary napkins on the ward and 18 year old male medics who were overwhelmed at the mere idea of a postpartum woman) but overall, it was a very nice experience. My last birth was a CHAMPUS financed homebirth attended by a licensed midwife. Your sister needs to call her CHAMPUS/Tricare service center and talk with them The system is very complicated and the average hospital employee may not clearly understand the system. I wouldn't take their word for it. Kathy, currently waiting on hold with Tricare to report my daughter's newly broken arm and long time Navy wife ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kathy Koch, BSEd, IBCLC Great Mills, MD mailto:[log in to unmask] "Children in a family are like flowers in a bouquet: there's always one determined to face in an opposite direction from the way the arranger desires."- Marcelene Cox *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html