5 Truths about Midwives

By Darlene Oakley HERWriter

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the truth about who midwives are and what they do

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Midwife deliveries now account for 12.1 percent of all vaginal deliveries in the United States (about one in every eight deliveries). (1)

While more and more women are taking advantage of the more personal and relaxed atmosphere of a midwife-attended birth, there are still many questions and myths around. So, let’s learn the truth about midwives.

Midwife Truth #1: Having a midwife-attended birth is a safe birthing option

“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” (3) you need. In Canada, midwives are required to complete a four-year university program where they concentrate on pregnancy, labor, birth and care of newborns. (4)

In the United States, lay midwives may not have any medical training, but gain their knowledge and experience through apprenticeships. Certified Professional Midwives and Certified Nurse-Midwives do undergo specific training, must re-certify at regular intervals, and are usually licensed by state. It is up to you to find out as much as you can about your midwife's experience and education before engaging her services.(2)

A midwife can recognize very quickly if a particular birthing situation requires a doctor, and will immediately transfer the mother to a hospital. (4) If a mother is transferred to a doctor’s care, midwives always attend the birth, and are responsible for the health of the baby once he’s born.

Midwife Truth #2: Having a midwife does not always mean having a home birth

In Canada, 75 percent of midwife-assisted births occur in hospitals, and similar numbers have been reported in the United States. (2, 4) Midwives work with the understanding that the mother always has the right to choose between a hospital or home birth.

Midwife Truth #3: Having a midwife does not mean no epidural

While midwives educate and help pregnant mothers manage pain with non-medicinal practices, some women do want the option of having an epidural. If the mother wishes an epidural, the midwife will transfer care to the hospital, but will still be an active part of the rest of the delivery. (4)

Midwife Truth #4: Doulas and midwives are not the same

A doula offers the same emotional and physical support during labor as a midwife, but she does not deliver babies. The midwife has more medical training, and the doula’s training is non-medical. However, a midwife can also be a doula. Many doulas, like midwives, also provide postpartum care and breastfeeding support. (4)

Midwife Truth #5: Midwives don't only deliver babies

Nurse-midwives in the United States provide prenatal care and perform deliveries, but they also provide “gynecological care from adolescence to menopause. Teaching women how to prevent disease and maintain good health throughout their lives ... Nurse-midwives work in collaboration with physicians” (2) and care for women through all stages of life.

Sources:

1) Midwife Mania? More U.S. Babies than Ever Are Delivered by Midwives. Rochman, Bonnie. Time Health & Family. Web. Nov 14, 2012.
http://healthland.time.com/2012/06/25/midwife-mania-more-u-s-babies-than-ever-are-delivered-by-midwives

2) The Truth about Nurse-Midwives. Mannering, Colleen. ExpectantMothersGuide.com. Web. Nov 14, 2012.
http://www.expectantmothersguide.com/boston/articles/truth_about_nurse-midwives.htm

3) Frequently Asked Questions about Midwives and Midwifery. Citizens for Midwifery. Web. Nov 14, 2012.
http://cfmidwifery.org/midwifery/faq.aspx

4) “Myths of Midwifery” Embrett, Cheryl. Today’s Parent Magazine. Web. Nov 14, 2012.
http://www.todaysparent.com/pregnancy/being-pregnant/myths-midwifery?page=0,0

Reviewed November 14, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

Tags: midwives, midwifery, midwife, doula, epidural, home birth, postpartum, breastfeeding, vaginal deliveries

Keywords: midwife, nurse-midwives, truth about midwives, home birth, epidural

Description: Discussion about some of the common misunderstandings about midwives and midwifery.

Page Title: Nurse-Midwives: Providing a life-time of woman-specific care from adolescence to menopause

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.