The first thing I recommend to any newly pregnant person is to take some time and effort to find the BEST care provider for their particular pregnancy. This is a task that is often overlooked and can seem daunting to first time parents. Many pregnant people continue seeing their trusted OBGYN for obstetric care out of mere convenience. While the relationship that has already been developed is beneficial, it is important to consider that our wants and needs may not be the same as our care provider’s expectations or philosophy of care. Communication is an integral part of creating the perfect birth team, and being on the same page as our care providers lays the groundwork for a great birthing experience.
With the rising maternal health crisis in our country, it is important that we educate ourselves about our bodies and make the best possible informed decisions about our care. The midwifery model of care supports this process. Dr. Timothy J. Fisher, OB-GYN residency program director at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and assistant professor of obstetrics at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth University, states that “the midwifery model of care emphasizes normalcy and wellness. It empowers women and gives them greater ownership of their health, their pregnancy, and the outcomes of that pregnancy based on choices that they’re able to make.” In honor of National Midwifery Week, let’s explore this option and understand the different experiences we might have with a midwife.
What is a midwife and how does midwifery differ from obstetric care?
A midwife, like an obstetrician, is a trained professional who helps pregnant people through their pregnancy, birth and after the birth of their babies. The major difference between obstetric and midwifery care is philosophy. A midwife has been trained to work with pregnant people through pregnancy and birth as a natural, physiological experience, whereas an obstetrician is a trained surgeon that has been specifically trained to help patients with complications through their pregnancies and births. Obstetricians are doctors whose education is based around treatment and how to intervene when necessary, while a midwife’s education is based around supporting birth as a normal physiological process. There are also differences in practice. In a birth without complications, a midwife will support the pregnant person throughout the entire labor, while an obstetrician will usually appear at the end of the pushing phase to deliver the baby and the placenta.
In what types of settings does a midwife work? What does a birth experience look like in each of these settings?
Midwives work in multiple settings. Where with most obstetricians, you are limited to a hospital birth, when choosing a midwife you can find practitioners who specialize in home births, birth center births, and hospital births. In each setting, a midwife will be prepared with the appropriate tools and medications necessary for a safe and healthy birth experience.
Hospital birth with a midwife: A hospital based midwife offers low-intervention birth support with the convenience of hospital amenities. Just as an obstetric patient, the midwifery patient labors at home and is admitted in triage between 4-5cm dilation. The midwife works with the patient intermittently throughout the birth and plays an active role in the patient’s birth experience. If the patient prefers medication like an epidural, an anesthesiologist is available to administer. Think of a hospital midwifery experience as a hospital experience with a more patient-centered model of care.
Birth center birth with a midwife: A birth center midwife is similar to a hospital birth midwife with the exception that the patient will labor at home, come to the birth center to have an unmedicated birth at around the same time of admission as the hospital (4-5cm), and return home within a shorter time frame than they would with a hospital birth — usually 3-6 hours compared with a 24 hour hospital stay. The midwife will remain in close contact with the patient for the first few weeks. Just as with an obstetrician or hospital based midwife, they will see the patient at a six week follow up appointment. This is a great alternative for patients who don’t have an ideal home environment to give birth and don’t have access to hospital based midwifery.
Home birth with a midwife: Home birth midwives offer much more personalized care than other providers. During prenatals the midwife will take extra time with their patients to better understand the wants and needs for their pregnancy and birth. This may not be possible with a hospital based midwife or obstetrician who usually work in larger practices with larger amounts of patients and stricter schedules. It is typical to receive at least one home visit so that the home birth midwife can become acquainted with the patient’s home. As soon as labor begins, the midwife and her assistant will come to the patient’s home and offer support until the baby is born. They will clean up any messes, tuck the new parent and baby into bed, and make plans for home follow up visits before leaving. They will maintain regular contact until the patient is released from care.
Psychologically, birth is one of the greatest paradigm shifts of our lives. Studies have shown that birthing parents’ memories of their experience are clear even decades afterward. Proper support during labor can be life changing. So how do we know that we’ve made the right choice? How do we know that we’ve found the perfect care provider? There are so many questions that we should ask ourselves when considering what type of care provider we want and whether the care provider we are interviewing is a good fit. If you’re not sure where to begin in finding the right care provider for you, I’ve created a free printable guide that covers questions you should ask yourself and your care provider when making this important decision. If you’d like to know more about how the midwifery model of care and childbirth education will play a integral role in the de-medicalization of birth, you can read about it in depth here.