Midwifery, outdated or underrated?
Many pregnant women in the United States are unaware of the options they have in
choosing their primary health care providers. Most women think that the only way to have their
baby delivered is by going to a hospital and receiving care from a physician. The other option
women are usually not aware of is midwife-led care. Midwives offer various amounts of methods
and approaches to child birth. They only tend to women that are experiencing normal "low risk"
pregnancies. Midwife-led care provides normal pregnancy women with various options in
places and methods of delivery. Women aided by a midwife may choose to have their baby in
places such as hospitals, maternity centers or even in a woman's private residence.
A certified nurse midwife is a registered nurse with professional training in midwifery.
Midwives usually work in collaboration with physicians and consult them if any problems are to
occur. Midwives are considered primary health-care providers and professionals ("Obstetrics").
They perform normal, non-operative methods of delivery. Midwives establish personal
relationships with their clients and educate women throughout their reproductive lives. They give
gynecological and obstetric exams and can prescribe medication when necessary (in most states).
Midwives approach birth as a natural form of delivery. They use strict, natural and observational
methods to verify a woman's progress in pregnancy and provide all that is necessary to ensure
Midwifery is one of the oldest professions known to man and is even mentioned in the Old
Testament of the Bible (Genesis 24). Initially it was considered to be the only method of
childbirth, however, attitudes toward midwives have changed over time due to the constant
advancements in medicine. Today, many physicia...