Midwifery and Midwives Explained
Post date: June 5th, 2009 |
Find the cheapest auto insurance providers online Enter your ZIP Code to start comparing instant quotes. |
Pregnancy and delivery; a source of joy and pain for the woman.Obviously joy is involved with the new baby, but if you ask most woman, they will also describe it was a source of unspeakable pain.
Well because of the pain that woman go through, there are two different schools of thought on how labor and delivery should happen. 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.
While there is a lesser known model, not as widely accepted, for those that have experienced it and believe in it, they consider it a safer alternative for the woman.
That model is called the midwifery model.That model is the exact opposite of the medical model which is usually used. Where the medical model relies heavily on medicine, hence “medical”, midwifery 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 a profession practiced by midwives. Midwives San Diego are generally woman, who attend the birth, often times at the mother’s home. This midwife would then assist the woman in trying to get through labor as naturally as possible without medicine.
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 as a profession does have a regulatory board that licenses, certifies, and oversees the individual.
Although usually not a nurse or doctor, a midwife can be a nurse as well.
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 goals are to allow the birth and delivery to happen as naturally as possible. This reduces the likelihood of a c-section.Does not subject you to hospital procedures that are invasive such as episiotomys.Less medical intrusion will be used such as drugs to speed up or slow the pregnancy or the breaking of the water. And the best part of all that a woman will love, generally labor happens much quicker naturally.
Hopefully this article sheds some light on the benefits of midwifery and having a midwife for your pregnancy.At the very minimum, maybe it gives you some other options to think about and look into. Remember this is first hand knowledge from a San Diego midwife.
- Tags: homebirth, midwife, midwifery, midwives, waterbirth