Labor and Delivery with Midwifery

Pregnancy and the act of labor and delivery, although joyful, also a source of pain.Obviously there is joy because of the newborn baby, but any woman will tell you, it was a source of unspeakable pain.

Well because of the pain that woman go through, there are two different schools of thought on how labor and delivery should happen.  I am going to offer some perspective on one particular school of thought that I have gained first hand experience with by being a homebirth midwife San Diego.

There is the medical model for delivery which is associated with drugs to kill the pain, and sometimes cesarean to complete the delivery.

While there is a lesser known model, not as widely accepted, for those that have experienced it and believe in it, they consider it a safer alternative for the woman.

That model is called the midwifery model.  That model is in stark contrast with the medical model.The medical model is where you rely heavily on medicine, while the midwifery model relies on the natural.Midwifery philosphy believes that pregnancy, labor, and delivery should happen as naturally as possible because it is a natural process.

This model is performed by a group called midwives. Midwives San Diego are generally woman, who attend the birth, often times at the mother’s home.  This midwife would then assist the woman in trying to get through labor as naturally as possible without medicine.

Against most popular beliefs, not using medicine during labor actually allows the labor to happen quite a bit faster because drugs usually slow down the labor.

The midwife is a professional with a regulatory board that certifies and licenses the individual. 

Although usually not a nurse or doctor, a midwife can be a nurse as well.

Even though they are not a doctor or nurse, they do carry with them some medical equipment, such as resuscitation devices and suturing equipment.

So this describes what a midwife is and what midwifery is about in relation to pregnancy and delivery.

Their objective is to let the labor and delivery to occur as naturally as possible.This makes the likelihood of a c-section less likely.  Doesn’t allow you to be subject to invasive hospital procedures such as episiotomys.  Less medical management like breaking the water or using drugs to slow or speed up the pregnancy.  And the best part of all that a woman will love, generally labor happens much quicker naturally.

Hopefully this article sheds some light on the benefits of midwifery and having a midwife for your pregnancy.At the very minimum, maybe it gives you some other options to think about and look into.  Remember this is first hand knowledge from a San Diego midwife.

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