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Preconception

What is a Midwife?
• For centuries, the term midwife was used to describe a woman who is “with women” at birth.
• Midwife is an old English term meaning “with Woman”.
• Traditionally, the midwife was an older female in the family or community.

The Modern Midwife
Today, the word “midwife” describes a philosophy of care:
• Focuses on the specific needs of women.
• Offers a variety of options, encouraging active involvement that is sensitive to the individual’s personal preferences.
• Minimizes unnecessary intervention while working within a team of medical professionals, including physicians.

The American Nurse-Midwife
• A midwife in the US typically has an advanced nursing degree and is certified by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
• The Frontier Nursing Service in Hyden, Kentucky was the site of the country’s first nurse-midwifery practice in 1925.
• The number of nurse-midwives more than doubled in the last 10 to 15 years, currently numbering around 11,000.
• In 2005, midwives attended over 11% of all vaginal births in this country. In KY, the percent of babies delivered by midwives was 7.6% in 2004.
• The majority of these births occur in hospitals, with birth center and home births accounting for 2 percent.

The Top 3 Reasons to Choose a Midwife
1. Midwives listen to women. You deserve more than a five minutes office visit. Midwives take the time to listen to you and your needs.

2. Midwives are THE specialists in normal labor. They know when to call for physician consultation and when to let nature takes its course.

3. Midwives…with women for a lifetime. Making a midwife your primary care provider means your midwife is there for gynecological care, breast exams, heart screenings, and more. You can receive adolescent and midlife care, as well as prenatal and pregnancy care all from the same place, with a midwife you trust.

For more information or to find a midwife in your area
• http://www.midwife.org/find.cfm
OR
• call the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) 888-643-9433

Books by and about Midwives

4. Great Expectations: Your All-in-One Resource for Pregnancy & Childbirth, by Sandy Jones and Marcie Jones.
• Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife, by Peggy Vincent.
• Birth as an American Rite of Passage, Robbie Davis-Floyd.
• A Midwife's Story, by Penny Armstrong and Sheryl Feldman.
• Sisters on a Journey: Portraits of American Midwives, by Penfield Chester.
• Gentle Birth Choices: A Guide to Making Informed Decisions About Birthing Centers, Birth Attendants, Water Birth, Home Birth, Hospital Birth, by Barbara Harper.
• Witches, Midwives and Nurses: A History of Women Healers, by Barbara Ehrenreich and Dierdre English.

Also check out…
• The Business Of Being Born, Abby Eptein, Director, Ricki Lake, Executive Producer. DVD in wide release (available from Netflix.com)