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Nurse-Midwives Provide An Important Alternative in Obstetric Care

Every year about 4 million babies are born in the United States - almost all of them in a hospital with a physician in attendance. Increasingly, however, women are discovering a better alternative to the usual physician-provided obstetric care. They are seeking out certified nurse-midwives (CNMs), primary-care providers educated to give normal (which is to say, uncomplicated) maternity, newborn, and gynecological care.

A report by Public Citizen's Health Research Group predicts that CNMs will likely be playing an increasingly important role in American obstetric care. The education and disposition of CNMs make them particularly well-suited to play a major part in the remedy of two notable difficulties in this area: slow progress in improving the health status of newborns and the excessive use of costly, often unnecessary and sometimes dangerous medical interventions during normal births to low-risk women in hospitals.

How is a Nurse-Midwife different from an OB/GYN?
Our philosophy is reflected in the personal care we provide. In addition to modern nursing and medical science, we incorporate proven natural approaches to health care, and draw upon a rich tradition of midwifery.

Supporting women through labor is one distinguishing service we provide. We specialize in helping women who choose to labor naturally, encouraging relaxation, massage, positioning use of tubs, showers, and aromatherapy. Certified nurse-midwives support your choice to labor with or without medications, and personalized a birth plan to meet your needs.

Nurse-midwives give you the personal attention, safe and sensitive, professional care you deserve. We are dedicated to taking time to answer questions, give health information, explain your options, and encourage you to take an active part in your health care during pregnancy and for well-women care before and after pregnancy.

We value our relationships with our clients, and encourage open communication. Working with women and their families is a joyful and rewarding experience for us. We celebrate each birth, and each woman’s progress in reaching and maintaining optimal health.

Benefits of CNM Care To Pregnant Women and Their Families
Focusing on childbirth as a normal event allows nurse-midwives to address more than just the medical aspects of childbearing. Women and their families are empowered to care for themselves and are given control over their own childbirth experience. Women attended by nurse-midwives can look forward to longer prenatal visits, greater emphasis on education and birth preparation during the prenatal period, and greater emotional support. Even though CNMs resist medicalization of childbirth, nurse-midwives are fully capable of recognizing any problems should they arise and understand the need for physician consultation or transfer to physician care if necessary.

Nurse-midwifery care is not "assembly line" care. Each woman can expect the individualized care that she deserves. Using a CNM for care allows women more choice in birth options including the option of birth setting. Very few physicians deliver out of hospital, but CNMs may attend births in a freestanding birth center or even the client's home.

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