Is it safe to deliver your baby with a midwife?

The purpose of the following article is not to convince you to hire a midwife, rather to help you think about your choices if you are considering hiring a midwife to help you with the delivery of your baby. Please consider all alternatives and take my words as an opinion.

As a pregnant mom or someone that would like to get pregnant, you probably have questions on what the best method is to deliver your baby. What route should you take…hospital or midwife? The traditional way of delivery has been the hospital for many years and there is no doubt that it appears to be the safest and more sterile. Is it though? Sterile yes, I would agree but does a birthing room have to be totally germ free or can a regular everyday setting be sufficient? Forget about statistics for a moment and consider that for thousands of years millions of babies were not born in hospitals but rather in normal (hopefully clean) settings and the human race survived. Additionally, as long as the environment is a clean one, there should be no complications. Home births have become more prominent and it seems to be getting more popular.

Is it safe to go to a midwife? Do they know what they are doing?

Well they do have an education, training and go to college or midwifery schools where they learn their trade and are certified and overseen by organizations which make sure that midwives are sticking to the appropriate guidelines. Of course there can be a “bad” midwife just like there are “bad” doctors but one or several bad midwives do not account for all just as one “bad doctor” does not account for all either. Most midwives are well trained in what to do in general situations and emergency situations as well and it goes without saying that the longer the midwife has been in practice, the more she has seen and the better equipped she is to handle emergency type situations. The midwife has been around since women began to give birth and since most women need some kind of help when they deliver their baby it created a need for a birthing assistant namely a midwife. Today, the midwife has gained popularity and respect. The title has lent itself to an entire career which allows a midwife to practice alongside of the doctor in some hospitals and even advise an obstetrician when necessary.

Below are the types of midwives that you may encounter while looking for an adequate one to deliver your baby:

• Certified Midwives (CM) which are college educated and certified by an organization called ACNM (American College of Nurse Midwives). Every state however does not license CM’s because this kind of midwife is relatively new.
• Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) are trained as both nurses and midwives. Most have a masters degree but some a bachelors and they must pass a certification test from the ACNM.
• Direct Entry Midwives (DEM’s) These midwives may have a college degree, be self-taught, may have apprenticeship or some instructional program. They are not recognized by all states.
• Certified Professional Midwives (CPM’s) This midwife is certified by the NARM (North American Registry of Midwives) and are not recognized by all states.

The Advantage of Working With a Midwife

There are many advantages to working with a midwife. One advantage is that a trained midwife does not solely rely on tests and medical instruments to treat her clients. This forces the midwife to rely on her intuition and her knowledge of what she has learned to give the best care. A person that relies on instruments alone is limited in what he or she can see. Often times medical conditions can be overlooked because the “machine or instrument” didn’t catch it. What this all amounts to is better care because the treatment is now more customized.

Another advantage to working with a midwife is that since the midwife only deals with pregnancy and childbirth, she has more time to dedicate to her patients questions and needs. This boosts the expectant mother’s confidence because the better educated the birthing mother is, the better the birth and choices she makes throughout her pregnancy.

Where Does a Midwife Work?

A midwife can either work in a birthing center, a hospital in some cases or is qualified to do home visits and home births. Some hospitals have a their own division for natural birthing which employs a midwife to work side by side with the doctor reporting to him all necessary information on his or her patient.

An Important Factor to Consider When Working With a Midwife

A midwife that has experience can be very gifted in her line of work having exceptional skills and training. However, with any medical personnel, precaution should be taken especially if you are at high risk. If you believe that you are a high risk mom, or have been told that you are by a trained professional, then the hospital is probably the best place to go since they can monitor you and take the necessary medical procedures should something go wrong.

When consulting with a midwife though, do not be afraid to ask where she studied and how many deliveries she has done. Make sure that your midwife is licensed and has the necessary skills required to take care of your pre-natal needs and deliver your baby. In this case an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Do not be shy to ask the midwife important questions about your pregnancy and method of birth. If any medical practitioner is not willing to take the time to answer questions about pregnancy, birthing or any medical condition you may want to reconsider working with another practitioner.

On the whole, most midwives will only work with low or no-risk expectant mothers so not much can go wrong if the midwife has adequate training. With those factors considered, the experience in delivering with a midwife is usually very pleasant and memorable and less stressful than a hospital atmosphere. In addition, delivery with a midwife allows for certain freedoms that not all hospitals allow like being ambulant while in the active stage or delivery, eating or drinking at certain times where the hospital would not allow. As a general rule when it comes to your health, research, become informed and use your intuition as your guide to choosing what is right for you. Other people’s advice is good but sometimes too much advice can cause confusion. Do what you feel is right and if you think a midwife is or is not for you, follow your instincts.

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