>Personal Health >Women's Health >Prenatal Care >Midwife Delivery

Midwife Delivery

The word midwife comes from Old English and means "with woman". Throughout history women were not always so fortunate to have doctors deliver their babies. In fact, many times their children were delivered by other women who had already went through the birthing process themselves.

Midwives believe that birth is a normal process, perfectly designed by nature to bring babies into the world. Birth is an instinctive experience that has its own rhythm and pace which should be interfered with as little as possible.

When women are informed, supported, and encouraged, they can be active givers of birth rather than passive receivers of birth technology.

Midwives spend a lot of time during prenatal visits addressing a woman's individual concerns and needs and will stay with her as much as possible throughout labor.

Certified nurse midwives, like doctors, may use some medical intervention. This might include electronic fetal monitoring, labor-inducing drugs, pain medications, epidurals and episiotomies.

Certified nurse midwives are trained in basic life support for newborns and can in the event of sudden complications after birth, care for the baby until a pediatrician or neonatologist is available.

Midwives, however, are not able to perform C-sections. Should one become necessary, an obstetrician would have to perform the delivery.