When it comes to making choices for childbirth, choosing a midwife is a no-brainer for the low-risk mother today. From longer, more comprehensive prenatal care to more continuous assistance during labor and birth, choosing a midwife has been shown to have multiple benefits for mothers and their babies.
The Cochrane Review lists several benefits proven by research for women who choose a midwife for their care during and after pregnancy. Let's take a look at these benefits one at a time:
Midwives Reduce the Risk of Miscarriage or Stillbirth Prior to 24 Weeks
It may be difficult to explain exactly why midwifery care leads to a reduced loss of the baby prior to 24 weeks of pregnancy, however the duration of prenatal visits (which provide greater opportunities for question-asking and information about good nutrition and healthy pregnancies) and the closer relationship between patient and care provider may be possible reasons.
Midwives Reduce the Use of an Epidural (Regional Anesthesia)
With close one-to-one care during childbirth, mothers who choose a midwife may discover that their need for pain medication is not as great. The Cochrane Review did find that mothers tend to use epidurals less frequently during labor if there was a midwife as the primary provider. Midwives generally offer different options for pain relief and provide much needed reassurance to mothers that they have the ability to cope with labor, thereby reducing the use of epidurals.
Reduced Incidence of Episiotomies When Midwives Attend the Labor
Research has shown for years that the routine use of episiotomies does not improve the outcome for the mother and in some cases, can increase her risk of complications. Midwives tend to encourage slow pushing during the crowning stage, warm compresses and perineal massage and support in order to reduce tearing, rather than cutting an episiotomy. Mothers who want to avoid an episiotomy will be motivated to choose a midwife.
Reduced Chances of Forceps or Vacuum Extractors When Midwife is Present
Midwives will encourage the mother to move around during pushing, change positions and suggest different techniques to help babies descend, rather than resorting to the use of a vacuum extractor or forceps. Since midwives do not use either forceps or vacuum extractors (only the obstetrician has training to do this more complicated vaginal delivery), they are often highly motivated to encourage the mother to push a bit longer to avoid the complications that can go along with these instruments.
Midwife-Attended Births Increase the Likelihood the Mother Has a Familiar Care Provider
Nearly 1/3 of all mothers today report that their care providers who delivered their babies were strangers or they barely knew them. When mothers choose a midwife, it increases the odds that they will know the care provider helping them through the challenges of labor. It can mean a great deal to a woman to have a familiar care provider to be the one to help her baby come into the world.
Midwives Increase the Chances of Vaginal Birth and Lower the Cesarean Rate
Research is clear that midwifery care versus the traditional medical model of care with an obstetrician lowers the cesarean rate and increases the rate of vaginal births. Perhaps one of the reasons for higher numbers of vaginal deliveries is that the midwife is less likely to intervene in other ways (such as using pitocin for inductions) and more likely to respect the time some mothers may need to labor spontaneously.
Breastfeeding is More Likely to be Initiated with a Midwife
Midwives know that breastfeeding is by far, the healthiest choice for both mother and baby. Since the baby is ready to nurse within the first hour after birth, the midwife will often stay in the birthing room after the birth of the baby to help get the mother off to a good start with breastfeeding. The Cochrane Review reported that breastfeeding was more likely to be initiated if the mother had chosen a midwife as her birth attendant.
The reviewers of this study concluded that because of the many benefits of midwifery care, ALL mothers be offered the opportunity to choose a midwife for their prenatal, antenatal and postnatal care.
Did you choose a midwife? If so, leave a comment here about your experience.
Brenda Lane - Brenda Lane is a published author, Lamaze certified childbirth educator, DONA certified birth doula and approved birth doula trainer.
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