Midwifery Care
Home birth
Dad and Midwife taking
footprints
Dad and Midwife taking
footprints
Midwives on Missions of Service
Newborn Exam
Sudy, Midwife, examines
a newborn
Sudy, Midwife, examines
a newborn
The World Health Organization (WHO) describes two models of maternity care: the
medical model and the social, or midwifery, model.
The midwifery model of care is based on the fact that most pregnancies are a
normal, low risk, physiological function. Most independent health organizations
around the world recognize two critical facts:
medical model and the social, or midwifery, model.
The midwifery model of care is based on the fact that most pregnancies are a
normal, low risk, physiological function. Most independent health organizations
around the world recognize two critical facts:
- Midwives are the best care providers in normal pregnancy.
- Women have the right to choose their care provider and location of birth.
What do midwives do?
Midwives focus on keeping pregnancy and birth normal, by...
One report showed that prenatal exams with a midwife average 45 minutes of
contact, as opposed to 10 minutes with a doctor. During labor, midwives typically
spend 6 hours with the woman, providing continuous care, while the doctor spends
about an hour, coming and going several times.
Many midwives are skilled in providing well-woman care, as well as care in pregnancy,
labor, delivery and the postnatal period.
Midwives focus on keeping pregnancy and birth normal, by...
- monitoring the condition of the woman and baby,
- providing education and resources about the evidence for and against the
options, so the woman can make fully informed decisions about all the choices, - providing skilled care within the scope of their training, and
- making referrals when appropriate.
One report showed that prenatal exams with a midwife average 45 minutes of
contact, as opposed to 10 minutes with a doctor. During labor, midwives typically
spend 6 hours with the woman, providing continuous care, while the doctor spends
about an hour, coming and going several times.
Many midwives are skilled in providing well-woman care, as well as care in pregnancy,
labor, delivery and the postnatal period.
Who can benefit from midwifery care?
Midwifery care is good for women, regardless of income, socioeconomic status, or
background. Poor women can especially benefit from the care that midwives provide,
because they are less likely to have other resources to help make birth safer.
The focus of MOMS is on these marginalized women - women in countries like Sierra
Leone. We advocate for good care for these women. Midwifery care, in America or
abroad, is not at all second rate, but is as good as care usually seen in a hospital. It
is as safe and is more focused on the laboring woman.
The continuing personal attention that midwives provide is a major reason why they
have such good outcomes - they provide physical and emotional support, while
monitoring the progress of labor, so small issues don't become problems.
Teaching poor women to become skilled birth attendants provides double service:
Midwifery care is good for women, regardless of income, socioeconomic status, or
background. Poor women can especially benefit from the care that midwives provide,
because they are less likely to have other resources to help make birth safer.
The focus of MOMS is on these marginalized women - women in countries like Sierra
Leone. We advocate for good care for these women. Midwifery care, in America or
abroad, is not at all second rate, but is as good as care usually seen in a hospital. It
is as safe and is more focused on the laboring woman.
The continuing personal attention that midwives provide is a major reason why they
have such good outcomes - they provide physical and emotional support, while
monitoring the progress of labor, so small issues don't become problems.
Teaching poor women to become skilled birth attendants provides double service:
- Women develop professional skills to save lives, increase their standing in the
community, and provide an income. - Pregnant women get WHO's preferred provider of maternity care.
What about safety?
Midwifery care has been proven time and again to be as safe as, if not safer than,
medical care. Planned home birth has been proven time and again to be as safe as, if
not safer than, than hospital birth.
The evidence supporting the safety of planned home birth with midwives is
unequivocally clear. For more information about midwives and home birth, see our
Articles page or Links page.
Midwifery care has been proven time and again to be as safe as, if not safer than,
medical care. Planned home birth has been proven time and again to be as safe as, if
not safer than, than hospital birth.
The evidence supporting the safety of planned home birth with midwives is
unequivocally clear. For more information about midwives and home birth, see our
Articles page or Links page.
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The medical model of care focuses on what might go wrong, in an attempt to
prevent them from happening. This model assumes that pregnancy and birth are
proved safe only after the baby is safely born.
prevent them from happening. This model assumes that pregnancy and birth are
proved safe only after the baby is safely born.
Are midwives nurses?
The two main types of midwives are nurse-midwives (nurses who study midwifery)
and direct-entry midwives, who focus on midwifery care.
Both have a good education in midwifery and serve an apprenticeship or internship to
gain practical experience. Nurse-midwives have a stronger background in the medical
model of care, while direct-entry midwives focus on maternity care in a normal setting.
Some nurse-midwives go through a process to achieve the Certified Nurse-Midwife
designation, while some direct-entry midwives become Certified Professional Midwives
through a similar process.
Each state has its own requirements for licensing, some requiring these designations,
and some not. In some states, it is still illegal to practice midwifery.
So a midwife can be a nurse, or not; can have an official designation, or not; or gain a
state licence, or not.
The two main types of midwives are nurse-midwives (nurses who study midwifery)
and direct-entry midwives, who focus on midwifery care.
Both have a good education in midwifery and serve an apprenticeship or internship to
gain practical experience. Nurse-midwives have a stronger background in the medical
model of care, while direct-entry midwives focus on maternity care in a normal setting.
Some nurse-midwives go through a process to achieve the Certified Nurse-Midwife
designation, while some direct-entry midwives become Certified Professional Midwives
through a similar process.
Each state has its own requirements for licensing, some requiring these designations,
and some not. In some states, it is still illegal to practice midwifery.
So a midwife can be a nurse, or not; can have an official designation, or not; or gain a
state licence, or not.
Weighing Baby Madi
Ellie, Midwife, weighs the
baby while Dad watches
Ellie, Midwife, weighs the
baby while Dad watches
Labor Support
Sudy, Midwife, supports
a woman doing what her
body was designed to do.
Sudy, Midwife, supports
a woman doing what her
body was designed to do.
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