Beyond Birth - Midwives and Well Woman Care

Midwifery care, once the standard for childbirth, is growing in popularity again in the United States-- and not just for birthing babies.

Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) serve women throughout all-stages of life for both pregnancy and well woman care.

CNMs are registered nurses who complete an advanced training program accredited by the American College of Nurse Midwives. Their accreditation trains and licenses them to evaluate and care for women from puberty onward.

Guiding Principles of Midwifery

Midwives follow the midwifery model of care throughout a woman's lifecycle. This model of care advocates for a compassionate partnership between a woman and her midwife. This partnership relies on a nurse midwife listening to a woman to understand her health history, her socioeconomic situation, and her emotional state.

A midwife considers all these factors and their effects on a woman's wellbeing. Midwives focus on providing education to women in order to encourage informed healthcare decisions by women, as well as positive health behaviors.

Midwifery for Birth

During the childbearing years, CNMs are able to provide a wide range of services to healthy women, including:

• Preconception counseling
• Prenatal care
• Hands-on-care during labor and delivery
• Care for the mother during the postpartum period
• Care for newborns up to 28 days

The Midwives Model of Care ™ stems from the understanding that pregnancy and birth are normal life events and that education, monitoring the mother's health and well-being, and minimizing interventions reduce birth injuries and C-sections.

CNMs have delivery privileges at hospitals just like obstetricians do. Midwives often work in conjunction with an OB/GYN who can provide care if the woman finds herself in a high-risk pregnancy or birth.

Midwifery for Well Woman Care

Women don't have to stop seeing their midwife after the birth of their baby, though. During a woman's lifecycle, a midwife can also provide:

• Gynecological and family planning service
• Physical examinations
• The ordering and interpretation of diagnostic tests and lab work
• The prescription of medications, from antibiotics to contraception to antidepressants.

A midwife's practice focuses primarily on affirming the events of a woman's lifecycle and encouraging a lifestyle that promotes disease prevention. When gynecological or other large health concerns arise that is out of a midwife's scope of practices, they will refer a woman to the necessary specialist.

But for a UTI, a case of the flu, or a concern about an irregular period, many women turn to their trusted midwife first. The appeal of a midwife is the partnered care that they can provide to a woman throughout her lifespan, including throughout her pregnancies and births.

Midwives are a good option for generally healthy women across their lifespan. Beyond childbirth, a midwife can provide preventative care and support throughout a woman's lifecycle.

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