Hiring A Midwife: More Than Just A Bygone Tradition
When many people think about pregnancy and childbirth, they think about doing so under the supervision of a conventional medical team. Midwives, doulas, and the like are not often a part of that mental picture. In fact, many people associate midwifery with a time in the past in which doctors who specialize in childbirth and women's health did not exist or were scarce at best. The reality of midwifery is far different, though. Midwives still practice in the United States today and can be useful in the pregnancy and childbirth processes. Get to know more about hiring a midwife to see if doing so is the right choice for you.
Midwives Can Provide Mental And Emotional Support
Midwives are a great source of support when you are pregnant and creating a childbirth plan. They can coach you through the pregnancy with helpful hints and tips about how to manage various side effects and symptoms naturally.
A midwife can also provide something that your OB/GYN is often too busy to provide, because they are surgeons and need to manage many patients at various stages of their pregnancy and with many different health conditions along with their pregnancies. Midwives provide the emotional support and mental support that medical care cannot. If you have pregnancy-related anxiety or you simply have a large number of questions (especially if it is your first pregnancy), then hiring a midwife can be very helpful.
Midwives often have a small roster of patients that they see so that they can give each mother-to-be more individualized attention and support. When you have a question, concern, or are just worried in general, your midwife can be your first call.
Many Midwives Also Have Medical Training
In addition to providing that emotional and mental support, a midwife will often have medical training as a nurse as well. This means that if you choose to work exclusively with a midwife or want to give birth to your child at home rather than in a hospital setting, you will be in the hands of someone trained in the medical aspect of childbirth.
A nurse-midwife will be able to read your vital signs, determine if the baby is in the right position, and look for signs of distress both in you and your unborn child. These skills will help to keep you and your child safe during childbirth and will give you a chance to get to the hospital and/or bring in a doctor if necessary. However, if things go smoothly, midwives give you far more childbirth options than standard conventional medical care.
Now that you know more about midwifery and what it can do for you, you can better decide if you want to include a midwife in your pregnancy and childbirth planning.