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The Growing Demand for Midwives

Midwife comforting a new mother and child.

Women today have options when it comes to their choice of maternity health care provider. The decision involves choosing the caregiver and the type of birth centre and may have a lot to do with the type of pregnancy. Women with high-risk pregnancies or serious medical conditions generally choose a medical doctor in a hospital setting. However, 60-80% of all pregnant women are healthy enough to have a choice.

If you are considering a midwife, there are different types, depending on the training they receive, the types of examinations they take and their certifications. For instance, a certified nurse midwife (CNM) has both a college-level nursing degree and a midwife certification, while a lay midwife is not certified or licensed, but has been trained through apprenticeship and/or self-study. Of course, it is imperative to check into the credentials of any health care provider you intend to use.

How do midwives differ from medical doctors?
  • Midwives provide more natural individualized care, while doctors provide more routine therapeutic care

  • Midwives will deliver a baby in a home, birthing centre or hospital setting, while doctors typically deliver in a hospital setting only

  • Midwives typically rely less upon medical intervention than doctors do. In a study conducted by Roger A. Rosenblatt, M.D. at the University of Washington, it was found that midwives had a lower rate of episiotomy and the use of labour-inducing drugs. Rosenblatt also noted that the cesarean rate for women attended by midwives was 8.8%, compared to 13.6% with obstetricians and 15.1% for family physicians.

Dr. Rosenblatt told the NY Times, "Nurse-midwives establish a relationship with their patients that lead to excellent outcomes with less use of medical resources. We physicians have something to learn from midwives about the approach to low-risk women."

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Dr Roger Asks some important questions of interest to Vancouver residents - Chiropractor Vancouver Dr Roger Asks...

How do you know when you're healthy?
Ask most Vancouver residents this simple question and you're likely to hear, "When you feel good" or "When you're at your proper weight for your height" or "When you have lots of energy and vitality." Great answers. But our chiropractic patients know that true health is when your body is working as it was designed. True health is how you function, not how you feel.
Do nerves actually get pinched?
Chiropractors recognize two types of nerve disorders involved in vertebral subluxation complex. The least common is a pinched nerve that diminishes nerve supply to an affected organ or tissue. More common is the irritated nerve (facilitative lesion) which overexcites nerve communications to an affected organ or tissue. Chiropractic care has been shown to help with both types.