What Is a Midwife And Why You Might Want One

What Is a Midwife?

Professionals trained in supporting and caring for women throughout their pregnancy, during labor, and giving birth are called midwives. They aid pregnant women with everyday life to keep them healthy and ensure successful complications-free delivery. Midwives for pregnancy are also there to intervene during labor and take care of the mother and child in the first weeks after birth. 

When it comes to the question “what is a midwife” most literature will define this profession as nurses who went through additional education to become specialized midwives. Unlike a few decades ago, nowadays, a person can become a midwife after a three-year university degree without primarily being a nurse. 

Midwives can also have additional qualifications, prescribe medications, and have a private practice. There are certain bodies and agencies the midwives who practice healthcare need to be a part of; this is regulated on a country-to-country basis. 

Although most midwives are women, this profession is equally created for both genders, so men can also practice being midwives. Social stigma and stereotypes have been affecting the number of men in this profession, but this has slowly changed in recent years.  

If you want to know more about this topic, Women’s Healthcare of Boca Raton is the place to visit and schedule a consultation with their expert team. 

Types of Midwives

There are different types of midwives, depending on the level of education they possess and their experience:

• Certified nurse midwives or CNMs are midwives who have finished nursing school and got a graduate degree in midwifery. CNMs can offer reproductive care, aside from pregnancy care and delivery, prescribe medicines, give diagnoses, and send samples to laboratories. They usually work in hospitals and birthing centers. 
• Certified midwives or CMs have a master’s degree in the midwifery field. However, they did not finish nursing school, i.e. their undergraduate degree is in a different area than nursing. They too can prescribe medication. 
• Certified professional midwives or CPMs work at birthing centers and private homes. CPMs have finished coursework and have been certified by particular government-approved midwifery bodies. They cannot prescribe medications. 
• Unlicensed midwives do not have any certification or license to perform the duties of a midwife, so they are usually self-taught or have some kind of basic training. They primarily work in private homes. 

Role of a Midwife

Regarding the locations midwives operate and work in, it is important to know that midwives can be employed in hospitals, birthing centers, OBGYN services, health centers, personal homes, etc. This largely depends on how you want to give birth, where, and their qualifications. 

In some countries, midwives are covered by the patient’s insurance, but you will have to pay a fee for a private midwife. Patients choose differently, according to their possibilities and wishes, but there are many different options when choosing a midwife for pregnancy care. 

Sometimes midwives will not be as available to you as they are to others, just because you may live in a remote area or there are no private midwifery practices there. Still, the health centers in the local community should definitely have midwife care as an option. 

The role of a midwife during pregnancy, labor, and birth cannot be defined as a single obligation. There are so many different roles a midwife plays in the process, and the patients should know to what extent they can count on their chosen midwife. 

• During pregnancy: the midwife’s duties during pregnancy are to check the health of the baby, the position and the growth process, to advise and help with the scheduling of hospital consultations and tests, to give support and advice on different topics related to the pregnancy and to prepare the mother for the labor process and the birth of her child.
• During labor: the midwife’s duties during labor include giving information, support, and help, following the progress of delivery, monitoring the heartbeat of the baby, taking care of pain medication, suggesting different strategies to aid with the labor, etc.

Usually, the midwives can take care of the support during labor themselves, but if there are some complications, an obstetrician is available. When the patient chooses to have a home birth, the role of the midwife is to manage the delivery and call for help in case there are any complications. 

It is also important to emphasize that midwives cannot give an epidural, i.e. the local anesthetic which blocks pain during labor contractions, so they have to contact the anesthetist to provide the epidural for the patient. 

What Happens When I Give Birth?

Midwife care also includes helping new mothers with their newborn babies. The midwife will start helping you with the infant from day one postpartum. Firstly, they will check whether you need stitches or how much blood you lost during labor, and afterward, they will focus their attention on taking care of you and the baby. 

Postnatal help is crucial for new mothers, and midwives can have the following duties:

• Assisting with breastfeeding 
• Teaching the parents how to give the baby a bath and change diapers
• Helping with the overall care of the baby
• Supporting the new mother with potential pain and discomfort 
• Scheduling and helping with tests such as screening of the newborn and gynecological checkups for the mother 

These services can be done at the hospital but can also be administered in the privacy of your home. The midwife services will be crucial for you in the first few weeks, and afterward, you can contact them over the phone if you still have some questions and concerns. 

Benefits of Having a Midwife

There are many benefits to having a midwife present to prepare you for labor and be there with you throughout the process, such as: 

• Lower risk of preterm labor
• Reduced mortality rates in infants
• Decreased use of regional anesthesia 
• Lower rates of labor induction 
• Higher chances for positive experiences during breastfeeding 
• Sense of security 
• Less stress during the first weeks with the baby
• Less need for a C-section 

Coming Soon!

Midwives can play a crucial role for women regarding pregnancy and labor. Our center has recognized the need to have Midwifery services in Boca Raton, Florida, so we are happy to announce that soon we will start offering these services for all our patients who wish to make their pregnancy and labor more comfortable and stress-free. With the help of Ilona (Larni) Blumberg, mothers can ecpect smoother pregnancy and expert help during the first crucial months of motherhood.

If you’d like to learn more about Ilona, just click here.

We have gathered an expert team that will be able to respond to any inquiry or need our pregnant patients might have, so be on the lookout for the launch of our new midwifery services!