Most people know that midwives have something to do with delivering babies, but after that things can get fuzzier.

“When I meet people and tell them I’m a midwife, they often ask: ‘Ohhhhh, so you deliver babies at home?’” says Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) Carson Ragan. “I always smile, because being a Midwife in today’s medical community means so much more.”

Midwives are women-centered providers, offering individualized care for patients and their families. They are specialists in the normal processes of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. They also manage many common obstetric complications and work in collaboration with Obstetricians to provide safe care for women.

“Part of the confusion about the role of midwives,” says Ragan, “probably comes from the fact that there are different types of midwives. Some are referred to as “direct entry midwives”, also known as “certified midwives”. They have not received medical training in a nursing program, but they may have attended a program related to midwifery, and they typically provide care and deliveries in the home and/or birthing centers.

“The majority of midwives in today’s medical practices are Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM’s). These are registered nurses who have obtained a Master’s or Doctoral degree in Midwifery. It is very helpful for CNMs to have a strong medical background obtained through a nursing degree, because many pregnancy complications are due to other body systems, such as hypertension and diabetes. At OB2me, we are very fortunate to have an excellent team that we partner with, including physicians and genetic counselors, who are available for consultation during pregnancy and birth, if the need arises. 

“During pregnancy, many women fail to realize the importance of keeping up with their routine exams. What sets OB2me apart is the care we offer. We schedule appointments at a time and place that is convenient for our clients in their home or office and deliver in the hospital setting.

“Primarily, our main focus is on wellness for our mom’s-to-be and the women themselves as they journey through childbearing. We spend a great deal of time educating patients about ways to stay healthy during pregnancy and take an active role in preparing the mother-to-be for labor and caring for her newborn.” 

While midwives are experts in supporting and facilitating the normal process of childbirth, most CNMs use a hospital setting for delivery. The hospital setting for delivery can sound very scary, but with the right birth team at your side it is an excellent option for most women. Certainly, the hospital setting is well prepared with all the necessary equipment and staff in the event there was an emergency during or after childbirth for the mom AND the baby.  Many hospitals now have recognized the need for less intervention and providing more of a family atmosphere. The birth team (nurse-midwife, family members, doulas, etc) you choose is vital in supporting and advocating for you during the labor and delivery process. Your midwife can encourage use of non-pharmalogical tools found in many hospital settings these days to ease pain and help the labor progress naturally, such as birth balls, Jacuzzi tubs and intermittent/telemetry monitoring that allows for free movement of the mother (walking the halls, using the rocking chair, moving out of bed, etc.). 

Many patients desire an epidural during their childbirth experience, and that is perfectly OKAY! It is your choice—your birth experience!! Midwives help women and their families through the labor and delivery process with or without pain medication and always with no judgement. Even when moms choose epidurals, it is still very helpful to have a midwife on the birth team, because they are experts in positioning mom’s properly to aid in fetal rotation and descent, and lowering the rates of C-sections, vacuum/forceps deliveries, and episiotomies.

Now, the next time you meet a midwife, you’ll have a better understanding of what they actually do in today’s healthcare field and how their profession is making a positive difference for mom’s-to-be.