Midwifery
Pregnancy and birth involve every part of a woman. Feelings, hopes, fears,
physical and practical needs, and spirital or religious beliefs can all
affect the pregnancy and birth. A nurse-midwife addresses all of these
aspects to help you give birth naturally, safely, and confidently.
Philosophy
Nurse-midwives believe in each individual woman's freedom to experience
pregnancy and birth in a safe, satisfying, non-interventive, and supportive
environment. It is the hope and philosophy of nurse-midwives to provide
personal, loving, educated, and competent obstetric and gynecological
care to all women. This includes support for the woman's overall well-being.
Nurse-midwifery Care
Certified nurse-midwives provide primary care to women throughout their
life cycle. Though often the focus becomes pregnancy and birth, their
care also includes contraceptive care, annual exams, evaluation and treatment
of infections, adolescent gynecology, menopausal care, and hormone replacement
therapy.
Certified nurse-midwives (CNMS) work in collaboration with physicians.
The degree of collaboration depends on the medical needs of the individual
woman. CNMS are experts in normalcy. They are well trained in the use
of medical technology, but only use it when indicated for the woman (pregnant
or not) or baby, not as a matter of routine. Midwifery care is centered
around advocacy for women and their families. They will support each woman's
vision for health care and birth.
During labor, the nurse-midwife will stay with the woman and her family.
She will help provide emotional support and help mom cope with the discomforts
of labor with massage, relaxation techniques, water therapy, position
changes, and other holistic approaches. CNMS can order pain medication
if desired including epidural anesthesia. Certified nurse-midwives help
woman discover their body's own ability to give birth, in its own way
and in its own time. Routine treatments or arbitrary timetables that can
interfere with the body's process of laboring and giving birth are avoided.
What is a Certified Nurse-Midwife?
A certified nurse-midwife is educated in nursing and midwifery. Most hold
master's degrees and are licensed by the state in which they are practicing.
They can attend births at hospitals, birth centers, and at home and can
write prescriptions as dictated by their state regulations. Certified
nurse-midwives are legal in all 50 states and in Puerto Rico. There are
currently 160 nurse-midwives licensed in Virginia and they attended 6.6%
of the total number of vaginal births in the state in 1998.
Midwife means being with a woman. It means mothering the mother.
