Why Choose Midwifery Care?
Midwives Support Women’s Own Choices
“A midwife-led birth gives a woman a measure of control generally unavailable with physician-led hospital births—the freedom to move, eat, bathe, or whatever else might help her labor and birth more confidently. The role of a midwife is to monitor labor, guiding and supporting the birthing woman safely through the birth process. For many women, care with a midwife allows them to birth their way, safely and naturally, supported by the people they love. Many studies show that midwifery care through labor and delivery lowers complication rates and reduces the likelihood of unnecessary cesarean section.”
source: www.mana.org
Studies that demonstrate the safety of home birth:
“ Join Jessicca Moore, filmmaker and nurse practitioner, on a compelling journey through maternity care in the United States. Told through the lens of doctors, nurses, and midwives, Why Not Home? examines the latest evidence on risks and rewards of different births and accessible views on the latest research, along with moving personal stories of medical practitioners faced with big decisions for their own growing families. Viewers are challenged to move beyond preconceived ideas, and to envision a fresh future for maternity care in America.”
When browsing the ‘ why not home’ website, scroll to the botton to download an informative PDF that discusses home birth, risks, research, and considerations. This is a very comprehensive and informative article when considering your options of where and with whom to give birth.
Personalized Care
There is more to maternity care with a midwife than checking blood pressure, fundal height, weight and urine checks.
Midwifery care provides:
A familiar face at each appointment, allowing you to truly get to know your midwife and build trust with one another. This is an important piece, given that pregnancy, birth and postpartum are such intimate, intense and vulnerable life experiences. With appointments being 1- 1.5 hrs long this allows for adequate time to ask questions and address concerns.
A complete program of care to nurture healthy pregnancy, safe & supported birth and confident parenting by a specialist in physiological pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
Individualized, culturally appropriate, family-centered full-scope prenatal services, and continuous care and support during labor and birth.
Informed choice and shared decision-making to best meet the values, needs, and priorities of each family during pregnancy, birth, and beyond.
A skilled and knowledgable provider to facilitate healthy normal childbirth, assure comfort and safety through risk assessment, and to accommodate the needs of the family.
A collaborative care plan with obstetricians, pediatricians, and other specialists in the case where additional medical care for mother or baby is needed.
Nurturing postpartum care and support in the comfort of your own home in the weeks and months after birth to help with breastfeeding and adjustment to a new baby and changes in the family.
source: www.mana.org
“All that is needed for the majority of labors to go well is a healthy pregnant woman who has loving support in labor, self-confidence , and attendants with infinite patience.”
— Sheila Kitzinger, midwife
“I became a fierce advocate for gentle birth as a solution for the most pressing problems of our times - a solution that begins at the source.”
— Robin Lim, midwife
“ Birth is not only about making babies. It's about making mothers; strong, competent capable mothers who trust themselves and believe in their inner strength ”
- Barbara Katz Rothman