A midwife is a trained professional with special expertise in supporting women to maintain a healthy pregnancy birth, offering expert individualized care, education, counseling and support to a woman and her newborn throughout the childbearing cycle.
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.
A midwife works with each woman and her family to identify their unique physical, social and emotional needs. When the care required is outside the midwife's scope of practice or expertise, the woman is referred to other health care providers for additional consultation or care.
Midwives in the U.S.
There are two main categories of midwives in the U.S., nurse-midwives, who are trained in both nursing and midwifery, and direct entry midwives, who trained as midwives without being nurses first. Within the category of direct entry midwives are several subcategories reflecting the varying legal status of these midwives in different states and the fact that until recently there was no nationally recognized credential available for direct entry midwives. Direct entry midwives include highly trained and very competent midwives; however, anyone may call herself a midwife at this time, and if you are looking for a midwife, it is up to you to find out if the midwife is qualified and experienced to your satisfaction. If a midwife is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), you are at least assured that she has met specific requirements for certification (and re-certification every three years).
Now, with all that said, the midwives I use (there are four of them) are in a group practice with about 8 OB/GYN's. You can choose one or the other, or a mix. They tried a couple times to schedule me with an OB, but after making it very clear I had no intentions of seeing one unless my pregnancy became high-risk, they chilled out. Now they only offer the midwives when scheduling my next appt. There is still one more out of the four for me to meet. I figure when I'm going every 2 weeks, I'll definitely see her by then. I hope and pray to never meet a doctor in the practice, because that means I've become high risk and need interventions. Yuck!
Now, some people I'm sure are wondering, "But isn't a doctor better qualified than a midwife....Isn't there care better/safer/whatever?" The answer is they are trained longer, but not necessarily better. When a normal healthy woman is having a normal healthy baby, there is no reason a doctor is needed. Another reason I'm a big fan of midwives is because they are an advanced practive nurse, AKA a 'midlevel'. Well, I'm an advanced practive nurse. Would you refuse to let me put you to sleep b/c I'm not the almighty doctor? My husband and I are both considered midlevels. (Eric is a PA-physician assistant - for those who don't know). It seems kinda like common sense for a family of midlevels to choose another midlevel during such an important time in our lives. BTW, our midwives are all certified nurse midwives, not professional midwives. (See above for difference). CNM practice with OB's. Unfortunately, the state of NC and the state medical board make it extremely difficult for CPM's to practice here. Hence, home births are kinda hard to do unless you want to go unassisted. There just aren't enough CPM to go around for all the women who do want a home birth.
Now, home births. Do I think it's crazy? Not really. I considered it for about 15 seconds. But, I've seen to much crap go down at work, and honestly want to be close to an OR. A stat C-section is honestly my worst fear, but I want the facilties for it if I truly need it. I was reading on a bulletin board about this lady who couldn't find a midwife to accept her (b/c she and baby were high risk), so was gonna deliver at home with her hubby, unassisted. But of course, they were going to take the neonatal resusucitation course, so that makes it okay. ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FRIGGIN MIND? That was a little much for me, I had to quit reading on that message board. I think for healthy women with no complications, home birth may just be the way to go. Not for me...I'm not that granola yet:-)
Okay, enough rambling. I think my next post will be about doulas, since noone seems to know about them either. I've got alot of educating to do!
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.
A midwife works with each woman and her family to identify their unique physical, social and emotional needs. When the care required is outside the midwife's scope of practice or expertise, the woman is referred to other health care providers for additional consultation or care.
Midwives in the U.S.
There are two main categories of midwives in the U.S., nurse-midwives, who are trained in both nursing and midwifery, and direct entry midwives, who trained as midwives without being nurses first. Within the category of direct entry midwives are several subcategories reflecting the varying legal status of these midwives in different states and the fact that until recently there was no nationally recognized credential available for direct entry midwives. Direct entry midwives include highly trained and very competent midwives; however, anyone may call herself a midwife at this time, and if you are looking for a midwife, it is up to you to find out if the midwife is qualified and experienced to your satisfaction. If a midwife is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), you are at least assured that she has met specific requirements for certification (and re-certification every three years).
Now, with all that said, the midwives I use (there are four of them) are in a group practice with about 8 OB/GYN's. You can choose one or the other, or a mix. They tried a couple times to schedule me with an OB, but after making it very clear I had no intentions of seeing one unless my pregnancy became high-risk, they chilled out. Now they only offer the midwives when scheduling my next appt. There is still one more out of the four for me to meet. I figure when I'm going every 2 weeks, I'll definitely see her by then. I hope and pray to never meet a doctor in the practice, because that means I've become high risk and need interventions. Yuck!
Now, some people I'm sure are wondering, "But isn't a doctor better qualified than a midwife....Isn't there care better/safer/whatever?" The answer is they are trained longer, but not necessarily better. When a normal healthy woman is having a normal healthy baby, there is no reason a doctor is needed. Another reason I'm a big fan of midwives is because they are an advanced practive nurse, AKA a 'midlevel'. Well, I'm an advanced practive nurse. Would you refuse to let me put you to sleep b/c I'm not the almighty doctor? My husband and I are both considered midlevels. (Eric is a PA-physician assistant - for those who don't know). It seems kinda like common sense for a family of midlevels to choose another midlevel during such an important time in our lives. BTW, our midwives are all certified nurse midwives, not professional midwives. (See above for difference). CNM practice with OB's. Unfortunately, the state of NC and the state medical board make it extremely difficult for CPM's to practice here. Hence, home births are kinda hard to do unless you want to go unassisted. There just aren't enough CPM to go around for all the women who do want a home birth.
Now, home births. Do I think it's crazy? Not really. I considered it for about 15 seconds. But, I've seen to much crap go down at work, and honestly want to be close to an OR. A stat C-section is honestly my worst fear, but I want the facilties for it if I truly need it. I was reading on a bulletin board about this lady who couldn't find a midwife to accept her (b/c she and baby were high risk), so was gonna deliver at home with her hubby, unassisted. But of course, they were going to take the neonatal resusucitation course, so that makes it okay. ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FRIGGIN MIND? That was a little much for me, I had to quit reading on that message board. I think for healthy women with no complications, home birth may just be the way to go. Not for me...I'm not that granola yet:-)
Okay, enough rambling. I think my next post will be about doulas, since noone seems to know about them either. I've got alot of educating to do!
3 comments:
Midwives ROCK!!!!!
Wooohooo Doulas next! Doulas ROCK also! (could be biased on that though ;) )
Nikki,
The wonder & joy of birthing, is that it is such a personal experience. I had a BTL, but would do a water birth if able. So, I totally get your great choices! So, did I miss it, do you get your choice of midwives or is it based on who is on-call? It will be so special for you!
Kim :)
congratulations on the JM and CDGoddess reads. :o)
I agree that there is something just RIGHT about MWs.
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