“All over the world there exists in every society a small group of women who feel themselves strongly attracted to give care to other women during pregnancy and childbirth. Failure to make use of this group of highly motivated people is regrettable and a sin against the principle of subsidiarity.”
Dr. Kloosterman, OB/GYN from Holland
Chances are that terms such as “midwife” and “home birth” conjure up for you old-fashioned images of childbirth. These words may bring to mind scenes from old movies, but you’re not likely to associate them with the modern image of childbirth. Do you know anyone who has had a midwife-assisted birth or a home birth? Would you consider one?
The version of childbirth that we’re used to is propagated by television and movies. A woman, huge with child, is rushed to the hospital when her water breaks. She is ushered into a delivery room and her husband hovers helplessly as nurses hook her up to IVs
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A young woman with the same brown hair and smile as her mother, Amy is pregnant with her first child. Ana tells me that she is looking forward to her daughter’s planned home birth as a high-point in her career. I tell Amy that I wish I had been aware of home birth as a possibility when I was pregnant with my first baby. I wanted a natural birth but, like so many other first time mothers, I assumed a hospital birth was the only valid choice.
I ask Ana why her work is so important, and she responds with an ebullient, “Birth is important!” Her demeanor is easygoing, even joking, but I know she is very serious about her work. Her eyes light up as she continues, “The two days a woman will always remember are the birth of their babies and their wedding. Midwifery is the oldest trade from the beginning of time. Women need women for support and love during birth. It is a bond like no other and it can make or break you. The birth choice is important; again, our bodies, our
Contrary to having doctors deliver babies today, midwives were called upon to deliver babies during the eighteenth century. There were many more midwives than there were doctors during that time. In addition, Martha served as a midwife, nurse, physician, mortician, pharmacist, and attentive wife simultaneously (40). Aside from being able to deliver babies, midwives were also highly experienced in medical care—they tended to wounds, diagnosed illnesses, and made medicine. Midwives were more accessible and abundant when compared to doctors—they did not require any formal training or education. When the medical field was underdeveloped, the midwives were the leading resource when it was related to medical conflicts.
The Grand Midwives, a term we now wish to honor them with, are still among us. Some are with us in spirit, and a few are still with us today. Two midwives who told their stories before passing on were, Onnie Lee Logan in her book, Motherwit, An Alabama Midwife 's Story, and Why Not Me ? The story of Gladys Milton, Midwife by Wendy Bovard and Gladys Milton. One midwife of a few still living is Margaret Charles Smith from Alabama. You can read her story in her book titled Listen To Me Good: The Story of an Alabama Midwife. These three midwives have shared their story with us so that we can understand our history in Midwifery. Midwives can be found throughout the United States and across the sea. In many states Midwifery is still unlawful. Some states have managed to pass laws that have made midwifery a free state to practice in. Those who practice laid midwifery in restricted states do so because they believe that families ought to have the right to birth where they want and to be attended by whom they choose. They believe in freedom and exercise this belief as Harriet Tubman once did. Many midwives today believe they were called to serve the pregnant mother as the midwives of yesterday. They serve with pride and dignity, something that no man will ever take away. As long as there are mothers upon the stool, there will always be
"I had traveled much on the Kennebec, by water, by ice, and, during those treacherous seasons when the river was neither one nor the other, by faith" (e.g., A Midwife's Tale). Martha's diary is one of the few documents written by a woman that exist today and that describes the behavior, occupation, roles, and daily activities of a common society in the 18th century during and after the Revolution. Although she dedicates her whole life to help others and her family, the diary exposes a very different world with the very different community. Many other history documents lacked the problems of women and the lack of written documents by the female gender. Through this document, Martha gives the importance of women in the community and how they
Johnson, K. C., & Daviss, B. A. (2005). Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional midwives: large prospective study in North America. Bmj, 330(7505), 1416.
Wertz, R., and Wertz D. Lying-In: A History of Childbirth in America. New York: Free Press. 1997
How do you feel about home birth? When it comes to most peoples minds they most likely think that is just horde, and that they world never even think of baring there child that way. After reading this I hope that you will change you mind, or reconsider it. home birth is better then the hospital in many ways, and i'm going to share with you many of those ways with you. In the articular ( Midwifes alliance) is says, (Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health (JMWH), a landmark study** confirms that among low-risk women, planned home births result in low rates of interventions without an increase in adverse outcomes for mothers and babies. This study, which examines nearly 17,000 courses of midwife-led care, is the largest analysis of planned home birth in the U.S. ever published.The
This particular class was conducted on a Saturday and covered the labor process, options for labor support, comfort measures, and breastfeeding. The class began with the discussion of the anatomy and physiology of an expecting mother. Then progressed to the stages of labor. Furthermore, the complications of delivery and pregnancy were discussed, this took approximately four hours. Lunch was at noon and piloted for thirty minutes. After lunch, comfort measures were reviewed, for about two hour. A forty-five minutes natural childbirth video was played that incorporated the Lamaze techniques. Then the instructor had the mother sit on the floor on yoga mats to practice the recommended breathing techniques for approximately thirty minutes. The final hour was dedicated to breastfeeding and questions the students
Thomas and Miss Babineau in The Birth House, well when she noted that it was “split along gender and philosophical lines” (p. 132). The dishonest practices implemented by early obstetricians, such as Smellie’s fraudulent dressing to preserve his identity in the event of a poor outcome (Cassidy, 2007, p. 134) and Dr. Thomas’s insinuation that midwives could not offer “reasonable assistance during childbirth” (McKay, 2009, p. 36), indicated the change in culture that took place during the inception of obstetric practices. Although certain advancements improved maternal and infant mortality and wellbeing, such as Semmelweis’s discovery regarding hand hygiene (Dick-Read, 2013, p. 5) and Dick-Read’s findings regarding the relationship between the sympathetic nervous response and birth progression (Cassidy, 2007, p. 145), following my exploration of the evolution of women’s healthcare through the Dawn of Doctors and The Birth House, it was clear that women have endured men’s unethical practices and have suffered from corrupted perceptions regarding
In recent years, the number of home births in the U.S. has increased. Although fewer than 1% of births in the United States occur at home, the rate is much higher in other countries, such as 30% in the Netherlands (Ecker and Minkoff, 2011). Internationally, a majority of births take place in the home, with up to 80-95% in certain Asian and African countries (Fullerton et al., 2007). Unfortunately, the topic of home birth is divided between midwives and obstetricians. Based on the provider’s training, some midwives are prone to recommend home births, while obstetricians are against it. A majority of the debate concerns the importance of transportation from home to a birth center or hospital during birth, as well
Birth is a normal, physiological process, in which a woman’s body naturally prepares to expel the fetus within. It has occurred since the beginning of time. Unfortunately, childbirth has gradually evolved into what it is today - a highly managed whirlwind of unwarranted interventions. Jennifer Block, a journalist with over twelve years experience, has devoted herself to raising awareness regarding the authenticity of the Americanized standard of care in obstetrics, while guiding others to discover the truth behind the medical approach to birth in this country. In her book, Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care, Jennifer Block brings forth startling truths concerning this country’s management of birth.
A recent controversy among soon-to-be parents and the medical profession is over the use of midwives. Some say that midwives are a good choice because of their personal, loving, educated and competent obstetric and gynecological care. Stacy Stich of the American College of Nurse-Midwives states, this not only includes the hands on care but also the emotional and supportive aspects. A midwife has the ability to assist a couple through the birthing process in a natural and comfortable atmosphere.(1)
Pairman,S., Tracy, S., Thorogood, C., & Pincombe, J. (2013). Theoretical frameworks for midwifery practice. Midwifery: Preparation for practice.(2nd ed, pp. 313-336). Chatswood, N.S.W. : Elsevier Australia
The hospital room holds all the usual scenery: rooms lining featureless walls, carts full of foreign devices and competent looking nurses ready to help whatever the need be. The side rails of the bed smell of plastic. The room is enveloped with the smell of plastic. A large bed protrudes from the wall. It moves from one stage to the next, with the labor, so that when you come to the "bearing" down stage, the stirrups can be put in place. The side rails of the bed provide more comfort than the hand of your coach, during each contraction. The mattress of the bed is truly uncomfortable for a woman in so much pain. The eager faces of your friends and family staring at your half naked body seem to be acceptabl...
Women who give birth at home under the care of a trained midwife benefit from the Midwives Model of Care (MMC). One of the advantages of the MMC is the superior prenatal care that the mothers receive. The MMC model of care also focuses on holistic care and promotes shared decision-making. A midwife’s prenatal appointments are longer, allowing mothers to express their concerns, share their excitement, and have any questions answered. Prenatal care focuses on the growth and development of the baby and on educating the mother about the changes her body will go through, what will happen during each stage of pregnancy, good nutrition, exercise, and preparation for childbirth. When a mother is well cared for and educated she is able to partner with the midwife in her care, making decisions that prot...
I have always known that I wanted to be an active part of society, supporting people and having a true impact on their lives is initially what led me into teaching. Life’s journey has brought me to this point, my own experiences of 4 very different pregnancies, labours and births as well as supporting friends and family through this special time in their lives, has made me realise how much I desire a career in midwifery. Expectant women are encouraged to make informed decisions and it is my belief that this can only be done if the woman is provided with accessible information in a way that she can fully understand it; educating women and their families can help build the supportive and trusting relationship between themselves and the midwife as well as creating a sense of control over how the woman and her baby are cared for. I believe this is one of my strongest skill sets, as the ability to adapt information and form relationships with my students was essential in my teaching career.