Every year on the fifth of May we celebrate International Day of the Midwife. There is a lot of attention paid to some aspects of midwifery in the popular media, like home birth. But I'd like to take a minute to talk to you about other aspects of midwifery care that you may not be aware of, like the fact that midwifery is the perfect care for most low risk women. Midwifery care can help negate the disparities between race and income that we currently see in the prenatal and birth care in the US today. Midwifes work in a variety of settings. Yes, they work at home, but also in birth centers and hospitals. Some midwives help provide care during prenatal visits or education to women. Some midwives work in the office with a doctor, while others have their own office, calling on physicians when needed.
The truth is, most American women don't have a great idea what a midwife is or what she does. This is why the Midwives Alliance of North American has a new educational campaign, I am a Midwife, to help everyone understand what a midwife is and what happens with their care. While not every women desires a midwife, it is my belief that every woman who wants a midwife should have her pregnancy and birth graced with some form of midwifery care, be that a home birth, birth center birth, hospital birth or even a high risk maternal fetal medicine specialist who works with a midwife as his assistant.
Have you ever considered midwifery care?
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International Day of the Midwife originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Saturday, May 5th, 2012 at 17:47:02.
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