YAY! Two more births this summer and I’m excited to have the chance to work with families that have chosen awesome midwives.
I get so excited when I get to work with midwives because of what they all bring to the laboring room- a confidence in natural and normal birth that regards interventions necessary ONLY in a small % of women. In the past, I’ve had a hard time trying to convince very intelligent and open-minded women that midwives are just as capable (if not more capable) of delivering a healthy baby while protecting mom as well.
Here’s a little list that I’ve created of WHY a midwife is a great choice for a normal birth:
-If she is your midwife she will be on-call for your birth… meaning… at 3 a.m. you call and she will meet you at your birth place.
-Unlike obgyns, midwives spend lots of time with you in your birth. In my experience once you’re about 6 cm dilated… they don’t leave you (unless they absolutely have to go to another birth).
-They are skilled in normal birth and not surgery. They will use tools such as massage, baths, counter-pressure, positioning and patiences to get the baby out. They will not and in fact CANNOT use forceps for birth. If you want a forceps delivery, you’ll have to call the dr. on-call while you are in labor. A midwife will NOT do it.
-In my 2+ years of doula work, I’ve yet to see a midwife give an episiotomy!
-Midwives often do 2 week post-partum check-ups for emotional support. Most ObGyns will wait until 6 weeks to check up on you post-partum.
-They are very skilled in emergency situations. I have seen midwives deliver babies with ‘dropping heart tones,’ shoulder dystocia, 10 lbs 4 oz babies, babies in water, babies on land, babies delivered in squatting position/hands and knees, babies ‘overdue’ without any problem, babies gently delivered without any tissue tearing. They have all the man-made instruments available in case of an emergency vaginal birth but they do NOT rely heavily upon them. They rely on mom’s body and their own ability.
-Midwives DO NOT do cesareans. Imagine delivering with someone that believes cesarean is not an option. In order to do it, they must hand their patient over to the on-call ObGyn. This means, they are usually not eager or quick to the decision of cesarean. They care enough about their own patients to suggest one if necessary.
-They are women!!!!! They have at least experienced menstration and at most delivered several children themselves. They know you, how your made and can truly empathize with you!
I love midwives and recommend them 100% of the time for birth. Even if you have a dr. I recommend visiting a midwife one time during your pregnancy just to make sure that you’ve ruled one out as an option. If you need a list of good ones… give me a holler: lauren@birthisfun.com
Here’s some good sites for info on midwives and normal birth:
American Pregnancy Association: What is a midwife and what do they do?
Lamaze International: No Routine Interventions