[Article] Midwives deliver

[candlelight1228]

excess_and_oohs this one is for you. [LINK]

Some healthcare trivia: In the United States, what is the No. 1 reason people are admitted to the hospital? Not diabetes, not heart attack, not stroke. The answer is something that isn't even a disease: childbirth

Comments

[hex61]

I guess there are a few things worth noting to put this in perspective.

1. One of the biggest changes in the delivery room over the past two decades has not been the equipment - it's been the youth of the mother. When you are dealing with teenagers instead of adults, there are a lot of issues that come up which historically were not common.
   
2. Being pregnant is a full time job. The amount of prenatal care appointments and follow through can become overwhelming for many women - especially those who plan to work into the third trimester. As a result the number of patient-doctor interactions is strained or minimized whether that is appropriate or not.
   
3. The strong desire of many pregnant women to be in charge of their pregnancy often means that they are looking for a relationship with the care provider rather than a professional consultation. This favours midwives, but not because midwives have extensive experience and capabilities. It favours midwives because of the socializing aspect of the interaction. That doesn't always make for good

[candlelight1228]

For most of what you have said common sense would say that people would do this if and only if it felt like the right thing to do. Secondly, a lot of hospitals currently have birth centers where this sort of delivery can take place without the intervention of modern medicine so you still have emergency services nearby. Third, it would make sense to do some serious background checks and such on which ever midwife you choose. I realise most people don't know themselves well enough to know if this is the right option for them or not but those that do have done this and have been successful