The midwifery care model has recently become much more popular in the U.S. in the hospital and home both setting. Learn about all the many ways midwifery care is superior in this post….
Midwifery Care Vs. Obstetrical
The midwifery model of care is so far above what you can imagine if you have only experienced care from an OB. You’re not just getting medical care, you’re gaining a friend in most cases.
Disclaimer: This is not to shame OB care. There are some great ones out there but, even the great ones are limited by hospital policies and office schedules.
While there certainly are great OBs out there many are hindered from offering a more personalized model of care because they are apart of a system. This system tells them how long they should carve out for patient visits, when you should have labs, that you should have your baby by the scheduled time, etc. It limits their ability to offer specialized care in most cases. It limits their use and knowledge of natural care options in many cases.
However, if you need or want to be under the care of an OB, many Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) work closely with or under an OB. This gives you the direct connection to a doctor should you need it but still more personalized care.
Click here to ready about How to Find a Great Midwife.
What We Love About Midwifery Care
1. Personalized Appointments
You are not just a number to your midwife. She will come into your appointment with notes from your entrance paperwork and will continue to take notes at each appointment on your preferences for your care and labor, questions you may have, and how you’ve been feeling. She will also check your prenatal for adequate nutrients.
2. Longer Appointment Times
You can expect your prenatal appointments to last a minimum of 45 minutes. This will depend on factors like if you have more questions, or if it’s your first appointment. My last appointment was 2 hours. I had several questions and also as I mentioned before, you’re gaining a friend usually, in midwifery care. Much of our appointment was spent just learning more about each other.
Midwifery care excels in making sure YOU are the number one priority. Not a schedule or “deadline”. You matter to them. How you’re feeling, the questions you have, the fears (rational or irrational)- your whole wellbeing matters in midwifery care.
3. A Relationship
This is the person that you are going to invite into the most empowering experience yet also most vulnerable time of your life. You get to build a bond of trust with this person and know the support you will have during your labor and birth. You won’t get that with typical OB care. Whomever happens to be working or is on call is who will “deliver” your baby. A stranger in most cases.
When I found my midwife I did not just find an expert to walk me through pregnancy- I found a friend. Someone I can get willing to drop everything to come check my blood pressure on a whim. Someone to call when that postpartum hits hard. A friend to just chat life with.
4. Emergency Expertise of Midwifery Care
In the unlikely event of an emergency, your midwife is trained on how to handle emergency situations that can (though not likely) occur at birth. She will have herbs and Pitocin for hemorrhage, resuscitation equipment for you and baby, and oxygen, among many other tools to help manage an emergency situation. Midwives are trained, professional care providers. You can ask specifically for your midwives credentials during your interview of her.
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5. Concierge Access
Included with midwifery care, is access to your midwife any time. Of course you want to respect her time, as it is as valuable as yours is to you. What comfort though, that if I have a question or worries about my body/baby I have complete access to a trained, and tender caregiver.
Early in my pregnancy I started to feel uneasy, like something was wrong with my baby. Having no other symptoms than those, I hesitantly expressed these concerns to my midwife and she immediately came over to my home to check on us. I didn’t have to wait for a call back or speak with someone besides my care provider and hope they passed my information on to them. What an invaluable resource.
6. Bodily Autonomy in Midwifery Care
While this isn’t completely impossible to have in typical hospital care, in my many hospital experiences outside of birth I have rarely felt respected and that proper informed consent was gained. Having to advocate for yourself while also trying to deliver your baby adds unnecessary stress to an already intense experience. I have found in midwifery care thus far my decisions have always been met with respect and phrases such as “This is your birth, your baby, and your body. I am here to support your journey and honor your deisres”.
There are probably some women’s care providers out there that feel this way, just as I am sure there are some midwives who don’t feel that way. That’s why finding a midwife you can trust and connect with is one of the most important factors in home birth.
7. Freedom to Decline Tests and Procedures
This goes along with bodily autonomy but we thought it deserved it’s own section as many women don’t even know they can choose. Each midwife will have some things they prefer but in most cases everything is optional with homebirth. You can choose what screenings or tests be done on you and your baby and not feel forced because of the threat of denied care with your declination.
8. In-home Appointments
Often midwives conduct all prenatal visits in your own home. This is especially helpful if you already have children as you won’t have to find childcare or bring them to the doctors office for your appointments. All of my visits have been done on my couch, as my toddler attempts to dig through my midwife’s bag and play with her keys.
9. In-home Postpartum and Newborn Visits
Your midwife will most likely be able to conduct your newborn’s first month of visits. One of my favorite perks of midwifery care is not having to pack up my freshly birthed newborn and head off to the doctor one or two days after delivery. Not to mention sit my freshly given birth bottom in a car and drive an hour to our family doctors office.
She will also care for you more closely postpartum as there are often two to 4 visits for you in the first month postpartum. Some midwives even include postpartum care for mom for the first full year after birth.
I (Tori) specifically remember packing up my newborn to go to my six week postpartum visit. What I didn’t realize was that their parking garage was under construction….making me 5 minutes late. I rushed up to the front desk and was told I would not be able to be seen because I was late. I just remember trying to hold back tears as I said, “Okay, thank you.” and walked away with my crying colicky newborn. What they didn’t know- I had been up all night with a crying baby. She had been taking the best nap, the first “good” sleep in days and I had to wake her up to even make the appointment.
The in home after-care is one of the biggest perks to midwifery care in my opinion! Especially as a mom with two other toddlers. Not having to leave my house with everyone is one of the most “seen”experiences I have had in motherhood!
