Experience a Homebirth with a Local, St George Utah Midwife

Education is key to a fullfilling homebirh experience.

Why Think about a Homebirth?

What are Midwives?

Who Assists at Homebirths?

The History of Midwifery

Things to look for in your Midwife

Homebirth is one of many avenues toward a successful birth that has, for many women in St. George, Southern Utah and around the world, resulted in happy, healthy moms and babies. I believe in and support education, freedom of choice and empowerment of mothers-to-be and their families. I want to help educate all potential moms about the profession of midwifery and about what working with a midwife can provide you and your family.

Why Think about a Homebirth?

Throughout history the majority of women have given birth at home. Even today, most women in the world give birth out of hospital environments. In many cultures birth is viewed as an integral part of family life. The introduction of obstetrics is relatively new but has had a huge impact on childbirth in the states. As a result, the birthing process became separated from traditional family life. The education systems began to promote that the only safe births were those performed in hospitals. Though doctors and hospitals promoted data that indicated hospital births as more successful than previously recorded, in reality it was better nutrition, hygiene and the eratication of diseases that improved results. Today, US stats do not support the premise that the only safe birth is a hospital birth. The US has a low rank of 28th among developed nations for safe births with 7 in 1000 infant births resulting in death. (See 2002 Birth Stats from the US Department of Health and Human Services.) Hospitals have never been proven to be a safe place for childbirth.

By the 1950s the number of hospital births increased. Cesareans and epidurals, along with heavyly medicating birthing mothers, became normal. Soon, women were not allowed to feel the experience of birth. As their bodies were numbed with drugs and adverse effects of childbirth began to have an impact on mothers and babies. However, during the next two decades, mothers began to challenge the way obstetricians were viewing childbirth. They stood up to the prevailing idea that child birth was a sickness and that birth was a natural process of the body. Women began to reclaim their power and the homebirth movement emmerged.

The 1990s ushered in an era of maternity awareness. Once again, mothers and birthing professionals alike became more concerned with making pregnancy and birth a enjoyable experience. Presently, a carefully monitored homebirth has been proven to be a safe and successful way for low-risk women to have their children. (See a large study on the Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional midwives.

What are Midwives?

There are the following three types of midwives:

Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)

Certified Nurse-Midwives in St. George, Utah and around the U.S. are nurses who follow two disciplines - nursing and midwifery. They are certified by the American College of Nurse-Midwives. A Certified Nurse-Midwife has the ability to work through hospitals, birthing centers and in independent homebirth practices in association with physicians. Not many Certified Nurse-Midwives perform homebirths due to the requirement to have a written agreement with a doctor.

Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)

Certified Professional Midwives are certified by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and usually pass a written and skills exam. Training may be through an institution or an apprenticeship. A Certified Professional Midwife works in a birthing center or at home. nearly half of the states in the U.S. regulate the practice of homebirth through licensing, certifications or registration with the state.

Lay Midwife

There are a handful of lay midwives who assist with homebirths in St. George, Utah. These are women who apprentice under an experienced midwife and may have attended school, workshops and classes to supplement their expertise. They generally attend 100 or more births as an assisting midwife homes or birth centers before branching off into their own practice. A lay midwife may be affiliated with a doctor but is not under his or her directive. A midwife can choose to be certified or not.

Who can assist in your Homebirth in Southern Utah?

Many professionals in St George including naturopaths, family doctors, nurses, physician's assistants, chiropractors and midwives have supported woman in birthing their children at home. When you have birth at home you decide who attends.

The History of Midwifery

The term "Midwife" means "with woman." Historicaly, women have attended and assisted other women during the labor and delivery of their children. As modern medicine emerged, doctors took on the role of delivery and birthing became a part of the medical field. Early on, women were not allowed into medical school so men largly dominated the field. Having never experienced child birth, men were not able to view women and childbirth with from a postion of empathy. Childbirth soon became viewed as a medical issue rather than a natural process. Un-needed medical techniques and even dangerous interventions became commonplace.

Throughout the 60s and '70s there was a renewed interest in homebirth and the midwifery movement was reborn and has been steadily growing. The use of midwives and homebirth is becoming more instrumental in redefining birth as a natural event in a family tradition. Home birth empowers women throughout their pregnancy and suring their birth.

Click her for a great article about The History of Midwifery.

Things to look for in your Midwife

Midwives have varying personalities, styles and levels of experience. It's important to choose a midwife who you feel comforable and compatible with. The following questions may help a you as you select the midwife who is is right for you:

• What is her path to becoming a midwife?
• Where did she train and to what extent?
• Is she a certified nurse midwife and/or licensed?
• Is she current in her education (workshops, professional journals, etc.)
• What is the foundation of her philosophy of homebirth?
• How many births has she attended?
• How long has she been practicing as the primary midwife?
• How does she deal with high-risk situations?
• How much does she charge for her services? What services come with her fees?
• What is included in prenatal care?
• Does she work with other local midwives? Who helps her at births?
• How does she deal with complications that may develop during pregnancy and labor?
• What emergency equipment does she have?
• What herbs and/or medicines does she utilize?
• Does she affiliate with a local physician?
• What is her standard on transporting?
• Does she have a good relationship with hospital support?
• What postpartum wervices does she offer?

As you interview your potential midwife, its important to clearly verbalize your expectations. Be prepared to share your birth plan and talk about any fears you may have. Tell her how knowledgeable you are about birth at present and how informed you would like to become. Pay attention to how you feel when you are with the midwife and in the end just go with your heart. If your heart trusts her then you'll have better chance of a peaceful birth that takes place your way.