Who is a midwife?
A midwife is a healthcare expert who provides care during pregnancy, childbirth, newborn care, and postpartum (after-birth) health. They tend to be more holistic and supportive of natural approaches to pregnancy and birth. They deliver babies at home or birthing centers and often work in a hospital with obstetricians and gynecologists (OB-GYNs). Their training enables them to provide routine gynecological, primary, prenatal, and obstetric care. Midwives also provide reproductive education in nutrition, contraception, fertility, exercise, breastfeeding, pregnancy health, and quality infant care.
What is the difference between a midwife and an OB-GYN?
Both midwives and OB-GYNs have the training to provide medical guidance, support, and care in labor and delivery, prenatal care, and contraception. Moreover, both aim for the best outcomes for their pregnant patients and their babies. However, they differ in their approach to care and schooling.
Midwives are not medical doctors; many attend an accredited education program or have a master's degree. Most adhere to certification requirements by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) or NARM. On the other hand, OB-GYNs are medical doctors who graduate from an approved and accredited medical school. They complete a residency of four years, learning obstetrics and gynecology. Additionally, they study gynecological oncology, ultrasonography, and preventative care. Following that, they devote three years to any particular specialization. They then take a test regulated by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG). After passing the exam, they receive state certification for practicing in their state.
For a midwife, birth and pregnancy are natural processes, not conditions that need managing. They tend to be more open to non-traditional approaches to labor and delivery. However, OB-GYNs can manage complications using medical or surgical interventions unavailable to midwives. Medical interventions include assisted deliveries and inductions, and episiotomies and cesarean deliveries (c-sections) are some of the surgeries they perform.
What are the different types of midwives?
There are various levels of training and certification for different types of midwives. They can be classified as follows:
- Certified midwives (CMs) — have bachelor's degrees and are non-nurse midwives. They complete an accredited midwifery education program. Additionally, they pass a national exam.
- Certified nurse midwives (CNMs) — complete master of science degrees in nursing. The American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) certifies them. Prenatal care, women's health, menopause care, childbirth care, and postpartum care are their primary focus. They can prescribe contraception and medication.
- Certified professional midwives (CPMs) — work independently with women delivering in birth centers or at home. They usually provide prenatal care and attend births. They pass a competency test by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM).
- Direct entry midwives (DEMs) — have midwifery training. They meet the standards of the NARM. They provide prenatal care and attend deliveries in birth centers and at home. They do not prescribe contraception and medication.
- Lay midwives — are not medical professionals but have informal training. They usually help with deliveries in birth centers or at home.
Why choose a midwife for pregnancy care?
A growing number of women opt for midwifery care in one way or another for their pregnancies and deliveries. A midwife can be an excellent choice if the pregnancy is low-risk. They will guide you and ensure that your options are within healthy parameters. You can choose them even if the pregnancy is high-risk. However, ensure they are part of a medical team or can contact an OB-GYN if complications arise.
You might want a natural delivery with minimum medical intervention, such as fetal monitoring, episiotomy, labor induction, etc. A midwife prefers natural pain management techniques during labor and delivery. They do not recommend a cesarean delivery unless it is essential from a medical standpoint. Furthermore, you can expect more extended prenatal care visits with them on average. They will thoroughly explain all your questions and provide practical, emotional, and social support.
How do you choose a midwife?
Choosing the best home birth midwife near you is a significant decision in your pregnancy journey. Recommendations from your doctor, friends, or family who've had experiences with midwives can be valuable. To make the right choice, consider the following:
1. Certification and licensing: Ensure the midwife is certified and licensed by the state. This is crucial as it validates the legitimacy of their expertise.
2. Affiliation: Inquire about the midwife's affiliations, whether they currently work with a medical practice, hospital, or birthing center.
3. Reputation: Research into the midwife's reputation. Look for online reviews on reliable websites or ask for references from their past clients.
4. Experience: Ask about the midwife's experience, including the number of births attended and the settings they have previously worked in (hospitals, birthing centers, home births).
5. Approach to care: Understand the midwife's general approach to pregnancy care and delivery and whether or not it aligns with your needs and preferences.
6. Pain management: Discuss with the midwife how they will manage pain during the delivery.
7. Medical interventions: Inquire about the circumstances under which the midwife would recommend medical interventions like inducing labor, epidurals, or C-sections.
8. Emergency plan: Learn about the midwife's emergency backup plan, especially for an out-of-hospital birth.
9. Communication: Ensure clear communication with the midwife and assess if they listen to your concerns and provide clear explanations.
10. Spouse/partner comfort: Confirm that your spouse or partner is also comfortable with your chosen midwife.
11. Coverage: Understand who covers for the midwife when they are unavailable and if there are additional attendants, like a doula, who provide emotional and informational care.
12. Consultation with OB-GYN: If necessary, check if the midwife consults with an OB-GYN and if you can meet them.
13. Insurance and cost: Clarify if your insurance covers the midwife's services and discuss the overall cost.
Before making a decision, interview potential midwives to ensure a comfortable and confident fit for your pregnancy and birthing experience.
How to find the best midwife in Denver?
Finding a patient-centered healthcare provider you can rely on and who makes you feel at ease is crucial. A midwife can be a great addition to your reproductive care team, especially during pregnancy and childbirth. However, finding the best home birth midwife near you in Denver can be challenging. Zocdoc is a platform that alleviates this hassle by connecting patients with the best providers for all aspects of healthcare.
To start your search, visit Zocdoc and enter your condition, preferred time, location, and insurance plan, and click the 'find' button. Based on your search criteria, a comprehensive list of providers will appear. You can apply various filters to choose them based on availability, gender, languages spoken, whether or not they treat children, hospital affiliations, and services offered.
Each provider on Zocdoc has a profile that includes their education and training, professional membership, experience, certifications, and licenses, among other crucial details. Additionally, Zocdoc constantly gathers reviews and ratings from actual patients and updates each provider's profile. Going through these reviews can help you find the top-rated home birth midwife near you in Denver.
Zocdoc enables you to book both in-person and video appointments. Booking appointments on Zocdoc is 100% free, easy, and safe.
Midwife statistics in Denver, Colorado
In 2021, there were about 180 nurse midwives in Colorado, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report. Midwives can decrease the risk of preterm birth and infant mortality rates. They can also lower the risk of needing a cesarean.
America's Health Rankings 2022 report states about 4.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018-2019. These infants were less than one year old. In 2020 and 2019, Colorado had nearly 295 and 305 infant deaths, respectively, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As per the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, in 2019, certified nurse midwives served approximately 18% of birthing parents. Additionally, nearly 10.4% of Health First Colorado newborns were delivered preterm. In 2017, the cesarean delivery rate in Colorado was about 26.5%, according to the CDC. The same report also shows that the preterm birth rate was approximately 8.8%. Additionally, Colorado had around 4.5 infant demises per 1,000 live births during the same year.
Sources
WebMD
Cleveland Clinic
American Pregnancy Association
Healthline[1]
Healthline[2]
University of Utah Health
Verywell Family
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
America's Health Rankings
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[1]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[2]
