To complete the birth process with a healthy delivery, the childbearing mother has an option to use either a medical doctor or a midwife. Today, physicians assist the majority of births around the globe, traditional midwifery practice is still active. Midwives take care of women before they become pregnant and during pregnancy, facilitate delivery, and play a pivotal role in assisting the young mother after the child is born. The groundbreaking transformation that healthcare is experiencing today gives a chance for midwifery practice to become an important provider of women’s healthcare.
Modern day nurse-midwifery in the United States started in 1925 by Mary Breckinridge (Walker, Lannen, & Rossie, 2014). She started an organization, that later become known as the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS), by bringing foreign-educated nurses to serve in rural areas of Kentucky
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Such consensus stems from evidence-based practice and controlled trials observed in many countries and various settings (Renfrew et al., 2014). To identify up-to-date evidence of effectiveness in maternal and newborn care, leading medical journal Lancet performed its own review of midwifery, which was published as a four part series in 2014. It is based on 453 reviews contributed by the Cochrane Pregnancy Childbirth group to the Cochrane Library and eight reviews by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Care Health Review plus some additional material (Renfrew et al., 2014). This massive work was co-authored by 35 experts from several countries and covered low-income, middle-income and high-income settings (Renfrew et al., 2014). Some partial and generalized results of this review are presented
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.
Holder, V. L. (2003). From hand maiden to right hand-- The birth of nursing in America “.ARON journal, 20. Retrieved from Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Apr. 2011
"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.
We are here faced with the polar opposite extremes in birthing. Seemingly, if a woman has too little prenatal care and education regarding birthing (as in Africa) she may not have the access to a Cesarean when she truly needs it; and at the other end of the spectrum if a woman has enveloped herself in a system that relies too heavily on birthing technologies she may end up with an unnecessary Cesarean surgery. Other paradigms exist for birthing such as in Holland where every woman is provided with a midwife for her birth, and Brazil where the C-section rate tops 80 percent. Yet another microcosmic pocket of birth in the U.S. shows us that C-section rates can be achieved at below 2%.
...o find a balance between interventional and non-interventional birth. With this being said, I also understand that there are strict policies and protocols set in place, which I must abide to as a healthcare provider, in any birth setting. Unfortunately, these guidelines can be abused. Christiane Northrup, MD, a well recognized and respected obstetrician-gynecologist has gone as far as to tell her own daughters that they should not give birth in a hospital setting, with the safest place being home (Block, 2007, p. xxiii). Although I am not entirely against hospital births, I am a firm believe that normal, healthy pregnancies should be fully permissible to all midwives. However, high-risk pregnancies and births must remain the responsibility of skilled obstetricians. My heart’s desire is to do what is ultimately in the best interest of the mother, and her unborn child.
Finding a practitioner to care for you during your pregnancy and the birth of your child is a very important task. Most people go to their family doctor. Unless your pregnancy is high risk that may not be necessary. Midwives offer care that is “lower-tech, less invasive, and less inclined toward intervention without a clear medical need.” says Jamie Cruz, author of “Call the Midwife”. Many women are uneducated on the benefits to selecting care from a midwife. Many times when expecting mothers discuss their options with their family doctor, the discussion of midwives is often avoided or the doctor will discourage the expecting mother from choosing a midwife. Midwives and doctors should work as a team and embrace each other, however due to
Although nursing has not always been considered a profession, it has been known in the Unites States for many centuries. In the 1900s, women were not educated in medical art, but men always counted on them to take care of the sick or wounded people. With the organization of the Nurses Associated Alumnae of the Unites States, the history of nursing started. It became clear to people all across the United States that preparation was needed to protect the sick the injured and sick from unskilled nurses, who had no well-known knowledge to give the proper care to injured. In the early 1900s, almost all of the United States passed a nurse licensure law. Training hours became shorter and qualifications were strictly enforced for attending nursing schools. During the Great Depression, nurses attending school had a difficult time. The Works Progress Administration used most nurses. The Civil Works Administration employed others to help better the depression. ”Virginia Henderson, who is well known as ‘the first lady of nursing’ graduated from the Army School of Nurs...
Devane, D., Gates, S., Hatem, M., Sandall, J., Soltani, H., (2009), Midwife-led versus other models of care for childbearing women (Review), 3
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
In combination with a Master’s of Science in Nursing, midwives must attain particular certifications and educational requirements. Aspiring midwives must first obtain a Bachelors degree in Nursing (BSN) and become a registered nurse. In order to become a registered nurse candidates must successfully pass the NCLEX-RN exam. This is the RN licensure exam. This typically takes up to 4 years to complete. Candidates are then required to have a year or more experience in labor and deliveries. The Master’s of Science in Nursing program is offered only by colleges and universities and generally takes two academic years to complete. In order to enter this pro...
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?
I initially considered midwifery when I attended an antenatal scan with my auntie and heard the heartbeat of the unborn baby for the first time. Listening to discussions regarding health concerns and family support highlighted the importance of the midwife and mother relationship. Two years ago I was given the opportunity to be my mum’s birthing partner alongside my dad. I saw how the midwives interacted and were supportive through the birthing and decision making process. It was found that the baby was breach and the safe option was a caesarean section, and with the complications discussed mum was able to make the right decision. I attended pre and postnatal appointments and listened to the midwives offering advice and guidance, develop a birthing plan as well as check and monitor the health and wellbeing of mum. These first hand experiences have given me a deeper understanding of the role of a midwife and how communication and building trusting relationships is key during these emotional and vulnerable times for a woman, and inspired me to become a midwife.
All mothers, especially first time mothers need help moral support and advice during the first few days after their delivery to ensure proper care of their newborn. The care and help given to first time mothers is of utmost important during this period as to maintain the normality in their babies as well as to prevent any further complications. Typically all pregnant women are counseled during their antenatal period on how to prepare themselves mentally on the care of their babies after birth. Upon delivery, majority of the mothers would stay for a short period in the hospital. During this short stay, they would need time to recuperate, need to know what care to give their baby and how to carry out the care and also learn what to do if their baby is feeling unwell. Thus it is important for health care providers to assist first time mothers be it at the hospital or at home since it is a crucial period for them and they often requires more help and moral support especially when it comes to the proper care of their newborn. ("Routine care of a newborn baby")
A midwife is more than just delivering babies. Kathleen is a board certified nurse midwife and a member of American College of Nurse Midwives. A midwife is usually the first and main contact for the expectant mother during her pregnancy, and throughout labor. She is responsible for providing care and supporting women to make informed choices. According to