Midwives have been assisting women with birth since the beginning of time. Home has been the normal place of birth until the mid-20th century, and continues to be for much of the world. Statistics from the World Health Organization show that countries where midwives attend as many as 70% of the births have the best outcomes for mothers and babies. The resurgence of modern midwifery in the U.S. began in the 1960’s and continues, as women seek alternatives to ever soaring rates of hospital interventions. Studies repeatedly show that homebirth with trained midwives is a safe choice for healthy women.
The main reason we chose a homebirth was that we wanted to guarantee
that the people who attended the birth knew us, knew what we value,
knew what made us tick…. It wasn’t so much that we were rejecting one
thing, as it was that we were embracing something better: a more
personalized, family-centered model of care. Relationships matter!
-a New Moon Midwifery client
Benefits of midwifery care include:
- Personal relationship with your care provider
- Emphasis on preventive care and continuity of care
- Evidence-based maternity care
- Low rate of cesarean section
- Outcomes comparable to low-risk hospital birth, but with a much lower rate of intervention techniques
- Cost-effective care
- Full family involvement
- No separation of mother and baby
- Respect for women, and their individuality, beliefs, and choices
- Increased satisfaction with the birth experience
- Very high rates of breastfeeding success
For further reading:
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, by Ina May Gaskin
Birth Your Way, by Sheila Kitzinger
Born in the USA , by Marden Wagner