Once you find out you are pregnant, you'll need to find a pre-natal care provider. The kind of birth you would like to have will help you to determine what type of provider you end up selecting. OB-GYN's will attend you at the hospital, and that is generally the only place they will attend a birth. Some have chosen to work with Birth Center's and Midwives, but even in these situations, while some of their client's may use the birth center, the majority of OB-GYNs are there to support patients that require a hospital transfer. So, if you are looking for a setting other than a hospital in which to birth your baby, you'll likely want to begin working with a midwife.
While there are midwives that work in hospital settings (usually certified as a CNM or Certified Nurse Midwife), the majority of midwives attend clients either in birth centers or at the client's home. There are many reasons for a healthy pregnant woman to work with a midwife. Midwives have a unique way of working with their client's. Because of the model of care they follow, midwives are able to spend a great deal of time with each of their client's both during appointments and throughout a woman's pregnancy as well as during the post partum period. As a result, they develop an intimate relationship with each of the mothers they work with. According to Julie Schochet LM, CPM (Licensed Midwife, Certified Professional Midwife) The midwifes goal is to empower women and their families by reminding them that they already have everything they need to master the challenges of pregnancy and birth, Julie was my midwife during my pregnancy and birth of my second son. She and other midwives I've worked with did just this. While they cared for me they also empowered me, as well as my husband, and in the case of my second son's birth, his big brother, to embark on the journey of pregnancy and birth with confidence, excitement, and independence.
For those mothers wanting a home birth, many homebirth midwives will hold appointments in addition to attending the birth in the comfort of a mother's home. I can't say enough about the benefits of this, especially if there are siblings involved. They can play and still attend the parts of the appointment that interest them. For my oldest, it was mainly hearing the baby's heartbeat with the feta scope, and any other times equipment was involved (like drawing my blood or taking my blood pressure). This helps the sibling(s) feel that they are part of this exciting process, and enables them to begin to develop a relationship with their new baby brother or sister. These benefits of having your baby at home are even more apparent after the birth. There are no specific visiting hours, no waiting to be discharged from the hospital, and especially no drive home!
Even more important are the benefits homebirth affords a mother desiring a natural birth experience. Homebirth midwives come with minimal equipment. While many will bring oxygen and other needed things for a potential emergency, Midwives are skilled at screening clients so that they can minimize emergencies by having those who are at risk seen by OB-GYNs. Midwives are also skilled at helping women through labor with tools beside drugs. Relaxation, water birth, movement, massage, and just plain loving support are just a few of the ways midwives can help you through the pain of labor naturally.
Homebirth is not a new thing. Many of our grandparents and especially our great grandparents gave birth to their babies at home. In the majority of other countries around the world, healthy mothers give birth at home, and hospitals are reserved only for women experiencing some level of complication during their pregnancy that presents a risk for them to birth at home. In these cases, hospitals are very important and can offer mother and baby the high level of care that they require. However, when mother and baby are healthy, having a homebirth with a midwife is a very safe and natural option.
For more information on homebirth a good place to start is http://www.gentlebirth.org/. Although this is a California Midwife's website, she has a wealth of information and links to help you begin your research on the safety and benefits of homebirth. For more information on midwifery or to find a midwife in your area check out http://www.midwiferytoday.com/ .
