Midwives gaining popularity
Published: Monday, July 11, 2005
By Eve Thorsen
Correspondent
The days when the only way to give birth was in a sterile hospital room are long gone. These days, many expectant mothers are seeking something closer to the more intimate experience that was traditional until the late 20th century. They are calling on doulas and midwives to help them give birth, both in hospital and at home.
Doula is a name coined by the Greeks for a woman assisting at another woman's birth, providing support and comfort both in the weeks up to the birth, during labor, and at the delivery.
Katherine Bramhall, a Montpelier-based doula, usually begins attending an expectant mother six weeks before the due date, attends the labor and delivery, and visits again with the family one or two weeks afterward. The doula's role, she said, is to focus on the mother, providing emotional and educational support. Although she doesn't have the same training as a midwife, her experience with birthing means she is able to explain options to a mother.
"A doula just watches and then gives information about the situation and gives the pros and cons and then steps back and lets parents make the decision," Bramhall said. "A doula empowers them to make informed decisions about the birth and the family."
Doulas such as Bramhall also provide a unique perspective of the baby's birth. At the postpartum visit, Bramhall gives the parents a written account of the experience. A postpartum doula attends the mother in the weeks after the birth, making sure the mother gets sleep, helping with household chores like shopping and laundry, or just sitting with a new mother as she tries to figure out her role.
"Most women feel like, postpartum, it's their job to know it all, but there is nothing further from the truth than that. Really, it's a time that's so hormonal and different from any other time," Bramhall said.
Doulas don't have to be certified to provide support services. In fact, women may often choose a sister, close friend or other female mentor who is nurturing and knowledgeable about birth to be their doula. Good places to begin a search for a doula are with your family doctor, your obstetrician, or through a certifying organization like Doulas of North America.
Midwives also provide nurturing support for women in pregnancy and birth, but unlike doulas they are trained to make physical assessments. Lincoln-based midwife Carol Gibson Warnock said that while only about 4 percent of all births are at home with midwives; that number may be increasing.
"Attitudes have changed," she said. "When I attended my first delivery in 1974, barely anybody was giving birth at home. There was a lot of skepticism about the safety in regards to home birth."
Five years ago, the state Legislature provided a licensing procedure for midwives and that has helped the public understand the training and education that midwives bring to their profession, said Gibson Warnock. That increase in understanding is reflected in the fact that Vermont Medicaid covers Midwifery.
Midwives attend women throughout their pregnancy, monitoring the health of the mother and the baby. They attend the labor and delivery and "catch the baby," although many, such as Gibson Warnock, simply provide the support so that the new father can catch the baby.
One of the commonest fears prospective home-birthers have is that their home won't be clean enough, but Gibson Warnock said it's not a problem she's encountered in the 1,100 births that she has attended.
Finding a midwife in Vermont might not be the easiest task. Gibson Warnock said there are about 20 practicing midwifes in the state. The good news is that more women are entering the profession. Holistic medical practitioners and family doctors may be able to help with locating midwifvs who serve a particular region. Midwives are also listed in local phone book Yellow Pages. The Midwives Alliance of North America will provide an e-mail list of midwives registered in specific areas on request. Citizens for Midwifery is a useful consumer based organization that provides information about midwives and their services.
SOURCE:
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/a...13/1004/NEWS05
Midwives gaining popularity
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My clients have expected much more from me. Most want various comfort measures in addition to informational support, and the one client who doesn't like to be touched in labor ONLY wanted me to be VERY VERBAL with suggestions, praise, and encouragement throughout her labor. Honestly...I think that one was my most challenging and mentally exhausting one so far, although it worked out well! I can tell you that even in that "hands-off" labor, I wasn't "just sitting there". I can adapt to Mom's desires, but I'm naturally "hands-on".
