Attending births is like growing roses. You have to marvel at the ones that just open up and bloom at the first kiss of the sun but you would never pull open the petals of the tightly closed buds and force them to blossom to your time line – Gloria LeMay
Midwives are qualified health care professionals who go through comprehensive education and training to provide woman-centric care. They provide an array of services for women that include pre-conception consultation and care, prenatal checkups, labor and delivery support and services, newborn care, breastfeeding counseling and support, and post partum care. Other services that midwives provide include well-woman care, annual gynaecological exams and family planning and contraception advice.
Midwives believe in facilitating Natural Childbirth as much as possible. The practice of Midwifery is based on sound evidence-based care and practice, during pregnancy, labor, delivery and after birth. This is a specialty of midwives that makes them unique experts.. To quote Erinn Mandeville, a friend and former colleague at Healthy Mother, “The countries in the world that have the best birth outcomes for moms and babies are using midwifery care for about 70% of their population with doctor back up or primary care for the other 30%. The Netherlands, which is one of the top three countries for birth outcomes still does about 50% homebirth, assisted by Midwives.”
The following conclusion from a study reinforces the benefits of the Midwifery Model of Care:
There are currently 28 countries from four major regions of the world in which fewer than half of all births are attended by skilled birth attendants. Sixty-nine percent of maternal deaths in these four regions can be attributed to these 28 countries, despite the fact that these countries only constitute 34% of the total population in these regions.
“Where there are (few) birth attendants” – Prata N, et al, Univ of California-Berkeley
Published in J Health Population & Nutrition, Apr, 2011
Midwifery care is based on respect for women’s physical and emotional well being, and their ability and right to make informed choices for themselves, their babies and their families. Midwives draw upon their understanding of birth as a healthy, normal event and utilize their patience and skills to provide care during pregnancy and birth. They combine traditional skills with modern medical science to ensure a safe pregnancy and birth of the baby, thus safeguarding the process of normal birth. They avoid the risks and side effects of unnecessary technological interventions but are well trained and capable of recognizing when there is a true emergency and when such interventions are required to save the health of mother or baby.
Finally, Midwifery is Safe, evidence-based care. The Midwives of Healthy Mother Natural Birthing Center, The Sanctum, like midwives around the world have had extremely positive birth outcomes. We have an 80% Natural Birth rate since our inception in 2009. Our babies very rarely have low birth weights, and we have extremely low c-section and other adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. Episiotomy, which is nearly 100% in most corporate hospitals and nursing homes in India, is almost nil at our birthing center. We assert that these good outcomes are in part because we dedicate ourselves to providing holistic, individualized care, antenatal education and Lamaze Childbirth classes to our mothers and their families.
Our midwives recognize that every mother and baby have their own needs. Our care, provided with these considerations, ensures that our mothers and babies are happy, healthy and expertly cared for. Our midwives also recognize that every mother (and father) has the right to experience what is probably the most profound moment of her life – when she gives birth to her baby, on her own, supported by her midwife, who is caring, knowledgeable, patient, and trusting, and helped by her husband/partner, present beside her, encouraging her, and being one with her in this moment. It is only the Midwifery Model of Care that provides mothers the opportunity and freedom to experience this.