prenatal care - midwifery is the way to go

I was just reading the girltalk blog - specifically the Baby Watch entries where one of the daughters shares all the news about her pregnancy with her 2nd child (a girl).
It was fun to read and identify with a lot of what she went through - although some of it I haven't gone through yet and some of it I probably won't go through. Anyway...I thought I would contrast her "doctor's visits" in comparison with my midwife appointments. I was shocked at the crappy care you get (or at least she did) prenatally.
Here is her account of her appointments:

I think I have mastered the doctor visit “routine”—arrive a couple minutes early; take a seat in the waiting room and pretend to look at a magazine; have your name called so that the nurse can weigh you and record it on some secret chart; head to the examination room and don the doctor’s outfit of choice for patients—a large paper napkin; wait in the examination room while studying all of the sharp-looking instruments lining the counter; do some more waiting while contemplating what a little redecorating might do for the surroundings; wait still longer trying not to watch the second hand on the clock; jolting awake as the doctor flies into the room, pushes on your belly, listens to your baby’s heart beat with her special radar device, and disappears as quickly as she came; then stumble back out to the waiting room and wait for the receptionist as she eagerly books your next “visit.” Yeah!

In contrast here are what my appointments are like:

• arrive a couple minutes early (or late depending on the day) and let the receptionist know I'm here.
• step into the washroom to weigh myself and pee on the stick that is supposed to tell you something if it turns a different colour (so far so good!).
• within a couple minutes one of my midwives (I have 2 that I rotate between) will come out and say hi and we'll all go into her office.
• the appointment begins: she asks how I'm doing, how my vacation (or work, or travelling) has been and then asks if I have any questions (sometimes I do, often I don't).
• she'll talk about different things depending on how far along I am (ie. where we'll have birth, different tests that are available, etc.) and usually give me some pamphlets to read or paperwork to fill out and bring back for the next appointment
• then she'll check my blood pressure, usually offer to let me hear the baby's heartbeat on the doppler or with the stethoscope and then measure my belly growth and feel around for the baby (last time we got to feel a leg!)
• then we might chat for a few more minutes and all in all the appointments usually last 45 minutes to an hour.

Wow am I ever glad I went with a midwife.