May 27 2009
Why You Would Use a Midwife for Delivery
Labor and delivery; it brings joy but also pain for the woman.Obviously there is joy because of the newborn baby, but any woman will tell you, it was a source of unspeakable pain.
Well it is because of that pain that there are two schools of thought on how pregnancy and delivery should be carried about. I am going to offer some perspective on one particular school of thought that I have gained first hand experience with by being a homebirth midwife San Diego.
There is the medical model for delivery which is associated with drugs to kill the pain, and sometimes cesarean to complete the delivery.
There is one other model, though not as common or accepted, but for those that practice it and believe in it, consider it a safer alternative for the woman.
That model is the midwifery model as it is called.That model is the exact opposite of the medical model which is usually used.The medical model is where you rely heavily on medicine, while the midwifery model relies on the natural.Midwifery philosphy believes that pregnancy, labor, and delivery should happen as naturally as possible because it is a natural process.
This model is performed by a group called midwives. Midwives San Diego are generally woman, who attend the birth, often times at the mother’s home.This midwife would help the woman try to deliver the baby as naturally as possible without the use of drugs.
Contrary to popular belief, the non-use of medicine actually allows the labor to happen much faster because most pain killers actually slows the labor down.
The midwife is a profession that has a regulatory board that oversees, certifies, and licenses the individual.
Although often not a doctor or nurse, some midwives can be nurses.
Even though they are not a doctor or nurse, they do carry with them some medical equipment, such as resuscitation devices and suturing equipment.
So this is what a midwife is and what midwifery is in regards to pregnancy and delivery.
Their objective is to let the labor and delivery to occur as naturally as possible.This makes the likelihood of a c-section less likely. Doesn't allow you to be subject to invasive hospital procedures such as episiotomys. Less medical management like breaking the water or using drugs to slow or speed up the pregnancy.And the part woman love the most, usually labor and delivery happen much faster naturally.
Hopefully this was informative and helped you understand some of the benefits of midwifery and having a midwife there for your pregnancy. At the very least, hopefully it gives you more options to explore. Remember this is first hand knowledge from a San Diego midwife.
