NorthSide Reaction

Posted August 4, 2011 - 8:45am by Tracy

OB v. Nurse-midwife: veteran moms choose the latter

When it comes to childbirth, most women agree that they will be happy as long as they end up with a healthy baby. And yet, more and more women are looking for something additional from their birth experience: a sense of empowerment, accomplishment and participation — and they are looking past the traditional OB to find it. 

Last week ChicagoParent.com blogger Selena Kohng of Sauganash wrote about why she chose to work with the nurse-midwives at Swedish Covenant Hospital throughout her third pregnancy, after two successful births with a doctor:

“I used to never understand why women would willingly subject themselves to such excruciating pain when modern medicine offered relief. I mean, hey; my own two deliveries went pretty well ….Still, I couldn't shake off this feeling that everything felt… passive.”

Kohng is not the only veteran mama coming to this conclusion. 

“It’s common to see women choosing midwives for their second, third, fourth births after having  previously delivered with an OB,” said Sherri Ruerup, certified nurse-midwife and director of Nurse-Midwifery at Swedish Covenant Hospital. “Often women are looking for a certain birth experience, and if they don’t experience that the first or second time, they start looking for something else.”

She explained that most women have had a medical doctor their whole lives leading up to pregnancy, and they often go into the childbirth experience feeling like they need to be cared for by a doctor. This has long been the norm in many cultures, and — as Kohng can attest — considering alternatives might be frowned upon by family, friends and strangers.

However, both first-time moms-to-be and women who have delivered with a doctor in the past are increasingly considering certified nurse-midwives.

On average, the nine nurse-midwives at Swedish Covenant Hospital deliver 40 to 50 babies, and have between 300 and 400 pre- and post-natal office visits every month. This is a significant increase even from last year, according to Ruerup.

One reason for this increase could be that misconceptions about midwives are starting to fade. For example, in the past, it was widely believed that midwives only worked out of people’s homes and they were not formally educated. Today, many women seeking a career in midwifery are receiving advanced nursing degrees, which qualify them as certified nurse-midwives who can provide the full range of women’s health care services. These trained clinicians are hospital-based, so expectant moms can have the natural birth experience that they want, with the added reassurance that the full range of hospital services is immediately available, should the need arise. This combination of benefits is catching the attention of women from every walk of life.
 
“Often we hear that women want to participate in their birth, rather than just having things happen to them when they head to the hospital,” Ruerup said. “They are looking for empowerment, encouragement, coaching and a high level of interaction throughout their pregnancy, and that is exactly we can offer.”

Have you, or someone you know, chosen to use a midwife or a nurse-midwife? Tell us why you chose this route and your thoughts about the experience. If you are unsure about using midwives, we want to hear from you as well. Join the discussion below.

To read Kohng’s full blog post, check out “Chicago mom: Midwife for me for baby #3” on ChicagoParent.com.

To learn more about the certified nurse-midwifery practice at Swedish Covenant Hospital and to watch a video interview with one of the nurses on staff, visit Swedishcovenant.org/medical-services/midwifery.

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