I had an OB with my first and second pregnancy because I wanted to go to the private hospital on the sunny coast, as the public hospital didn't have a very good rep when it came to maternity and i would have done anything to avoid having to go there.

But since I elected to have my first baby by c-section, you sorta need an OB for that - and you don't really get to "elect" to have a c-section if you don't go private - well with most hospitals anyway.

I had DD2 with an independent midwife in an independent birth centre, and if I knew with DS what I know now - I wouldn't have had an OB at all - I would have gone with a birth centre like that one I had down here in Tas.