What is A Midwife
Midwives are health care providers that are committed to caring for women of all ages and stages of their lives. They focus on each women’s unique situation and offer a family centered approach.
Midwives are independent health care practitioners that can provide care to you from your first period until after menopause, offering gynecologic, primary care, family planning services and pregnancy and childbirth services as well as care of the healthy newborn during the first 28 days of life. They can also prescribe medications.
Learn more about Midwives here
The Power of Midwifery
The Midwives Model of Care is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes. The Midwives' Model of Care includes:
Monitoring the physical, psychological, and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle.
Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support.
Minimizing technological interventions.
Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention.
The application of this woman-centered model of care has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section.
(information taken from Citizens of Midwifery)
Normal Birth: Do we believe? Can we remember?
Why Are We Asking Doctors If Women Should Have Midwives?
Any healthy woman (so called “low risk”) is eligible for midwifery care. However, midwifery care is a two way relationship. As a midwife I’m committed to care for my moms but they are also responsible for taking care of their physical and spiritual/emotional being and health. A physician and hospital backup is always available for consultation or transfer if any problem arises during the pregnancy or birth.
Women who have pre-existing medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes or heart disease must be co-managed by a physician.
Studies have demonstrated that care given by midwives can have an impact on the birth outcome. Less interventions, more respect for the normalcy of birth definitely contribute to having a positive experience of birth.
Births attended by Midwives Safe, Need Fewer Interventions
Comparison of Labor and Delivery Care provided by Certified Nurse-Midwives and Physicians: A Systematic Review, 1990 to 2008
A Better Way to Give Birth