Midwives assist women in labor and delivery and provide prenatal care, emotional support, and nursing-type care. They work closely with obstetricians and can deliver babies in various settings. Midwives, often women, offer holistic care and promote natural childbirth but also provide medical interventions when necessary.
A midwife is a person trained to assist a woman in labor and delivery. For centuries, women have relied solely on a midwife to bring their children into the world. Traditional views held that men should never witness childbirth. With the rise of the medical field known as obstetrics, obstetrics has started to take a back seat to doctors referred to as obstetricians but is once again gaining popularity.
Today, a midwife is usually at least a registered nurse, commonly referred to as a certified nurse midwife. With extensive training and years of hands-on experience, a midwife can provide a pregnant woman with many of the same services as a midwife. A midwife typically works closely with an obstetrician who supervises the pregnancy and is available if complications arise, such as the need for a C-section.
A midwife ideally begins caring for an expectant mother as soon as a pregnancy is confirmed. The prenatal care provided by a midwife includes physical exams of the mother and baby, listening to the baby’s heartbeat, emotional support, and anything else the patient may require. Some midwives are also licensed to write prescriptions. A midwife works with the pregnant mother until delivery and cares for the mother after delivery.
A midwife, usually a woman, is seen as an advantage over a doctor for many pregnant women. Many women feel that another woman is able to better understand the changes in their body, as well as the emotions and concerns that accompany pregnancy. A midwife usually has more time to spend with her patients than a doctor, which creates a more personal relationship and improves patient-caregiver communication. Because a midwife is also a nurse, she can often provide nursing-type care that doctors don’t normally provide.
Many midwives offer holistic care and promote natural childbirth. A midwife can deliver a baby in the mother’s home, in a birthing center or in a hospital according to the patient’s wishes. A common misconception, however, is that a midwife only practices holistic care and natural childbirth. Today, midwives also willingly provide medicated pain relief and other medical interventions with their patient’s optimal well-being in mind.
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