Lee High School

What are the benefits with having a midwife rather than an OB-GYN?

Final Draft

Steffania Buitron

Senior Capstone

Peter Foote

April 21, 2017

Steffania Buitron

Peter Foote

Capstone Research

April 21, 2017

Capstone Final Draft Paper:

Imagine having the certification and proper skills to bring a new life into the world. Sit

back and enjoy this amazing experience, the midwife has everything under control. From the first

blood tests and prenatal to the first push and hearing that first cry. There's a lot of advantages

of choosing a midwife over an OB-GYN. Being able to guide a mother as she prepares for one

of the most important events in her life is such an exciting feeling and an unforgettable

experience. Unfortunately the outcome of a pregnancy is not always great. The baby does not

always make it and the mother herself also unfortunately does not always make it. 529,000

maternal deaths per year. (World Health Report, 2005). It is important to be their caring for not

only the baby but the family as well, whether the outcome of the pregnancy was good or bad.

Midwifery is a career that provides those getting into this career to welcome a new life but also

say goodbye to some. Midwives are changing people's lives and patients are changing theirs as

well.

The career of a midwife is opening more job opportunities and is expected to increase in

job opportunities. Creating more opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds to

enter midwifery education programs, and ultimately the workforce, would increase and enrich

our numbers. (Patricia Aikins Murphy and Frances E. Likis. Journal, 2015) What is a

midwife? A midwife (CNM) is a certified nurse midwife, they are specialized in natural births
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only. A midwife will look after a mother throughout the entire pregnancy. Providing her with all

the prenatal she will need, keeping track of the fetal development, and giving the mother

physical exams. When its time to deliver, the midwife checks if everything has gone smoothly

and looks good. The midwife herself will deliver the baby which they may only deliver babies if

they are certified. The educational requirements to becoming a midwife are getting a bachelor's

degree in nursing, start a registered nursing experience, getting an associate's degree by

completing a midwifery educational program, and finally getting the certification. Unfortunately

not everything is always good for a midwife because they do have their downsides. Long hours

up without sleep when on call and away from family. (Michelle. Interview, 2017)

Getting to know the person who will be delivering a mothers baby is very important.

Creating a bond with either the OB-GYN or midwife should always be something a mother does.

Although, it is mostly true that its easier to create a bond with a midwife than it is with an

OB-GYN. OB-GYNs are always very busy and running back and forth from surgery. When

mothers meet with their OB it is for a very short amount of time because they are very busy and

attend many patients at once. When asked a question they give very short quick answers. When it

comes to the actual delivery the OB who has been attending the patient will most likely not

deliver the baby. It will be which ever doctor is on call at that moment. OBs tend to stay very

professional and not get involved with the emotional side of the pregnancy. Mothers also will

most likely only see them when it is time for the baby to come out. They deliver and move on to

the next patient. A midwife becomes a mothers guide and sticks with them through the entire

journey. The mother will spend much more one on one time with her/him. If asked a question

they will make sure to go through all the details with the mother and have her well informed. The
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patient gets to know them personally so that makes the pregnancy a lot more comfortable for the

mother. The midwife chosen will be the one to deliver the baby. They are more involved with the

personal and emotional side of the pregnancy. They will still be with the mother after delivery

looking after her and the baby. They are making sure to better themselves for their patients.

Nurses who practice in these roles contribute significant knowledge and expertise in key areas

of nursing practice that ultimately contributes to patient care through improved patient outcomes

and advancing nursing science. (Board Of Nurse Examiners. Journal, 2017) They are making

sure the mother gets the care they deserve.

A mother should always have the right to make her own decisions and state her thoughts

on her pregnancy process. An issue that mothers run into with OBs is that they are very

professional and care too little on what they think or say. A midwife on the other hand is here to

serve her needs and wants. Making sure they receive the care and information that they deserve.

She makes sure that the mother and her both create the best birth plan for the baby and mother.

She takes all thoughts into consideration and guides them to the correct choices for their specific

pregnancy. She makes them aware of the mandatory tests they will need and then also informs

the patient on voluntary tests that she may take if she would like too. Midwives are very good

with working and compromising with their patients. OBs tend to take control and not listen to

what a mother has to say. They do not ask they just do. Patients take tests that they are not aware

are optional because their OB never informed them. They make patients take unnecessary and

non mandatory exams without discussing it with their patients. They are very busy so they don't

bother taking the extra mile to inform and guide their patient.
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Not all mothers are completely comfortable with a hospital setting. Home birth is a huge

advantage that midwives have over an OB. OBs may do a homebirth but it is extremely rare,

they do not enjoy this. Many patients request and enjoy having a home birth. Having a familiar

setting relaxes the mother which makes the delivery go alot smoother. Being in your own home

makes the experience much more sentimental and memorable for the patient, being able to share

this moment with their family in their home. A home birth is typically a water birth. Water births

are extremely beneficial to a mom and her baby. The mother has a lot of control on the labor, she

is allowed to make decisions on how she would like her labor to go about she also feels a lot less

pain because of the soothing warm water. The warm water in the tub is also a similar feeling to

the womb of the mother. So the newborn enters the world very calm and is less likely to overly

cry once born. Of course the mom and baby are able to enjoy a peaceful moment together in the

pool. They bond skin to skin. Another amazing advantage is if the dad would like to and the

mother allows he may get into the tub with her to support and enjoy this experience with his

significant other, they are able to see the baby that they created come into the world.

There is plenty of benefits over having a natural birth over a c-section. Midwives

specialize in natural births while OB-GYNs specialize in non natural births such as c-sections.

Whether it is vaginal or surgical the goal is always to have a healthy baby. A surgical birth will

be done when a pregnancy becomes risky and complicated. A natural birth is the best way to go.

Although it is hard work for the mother, the hard work pays off in the end. To start, their stay in

the hospital is much shorter than a surgical birth. If the baby is delivered surgically the mother

cannot feel a thing. Most would say that this is not as rewarding as being able to feel bringing

their own baby into the world. Another con of surgical birth is not having bonding time with
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their baby after he/she/they are born. A mother gets a look at their baby but may not hold it.

They have to be sewn up and recover since they were cut open. If the mother delivered naturally

they hold their baby as soon as it comes out and get to enjoy some skin to skin bonding with their

little one. A mother may also begin with breastfeeding which they cannot do with a surgical

delivery. If they have a natural birth depending on their selected delivery place. This career

provides plenty of rewarding moments. Helping a mom birth her baby and show her what her

body is made to do and that she can do it; being part of a familys most joyous experience.

(Michelle. Interview, 2017) The mother may pick between water birth or a typical bed birth.

At the end of the day choosing between a midwife and an OB-GYN is completely up to

the mother and what she feels the most comfortable with. It is extremely important to research

both and learn the pros and cons that they come with. Being well informed will help a patient

make the best decision. A midwife has a lot of advantages over an OB. The care that a midwife

is one of a kind. They create a very good bond with the mother and help guide her down the best

path for her pregnancy. Making sure that their experience is unforgettable and one of a kind.

They grow and share that sentiment emotional feeling with the family. Getting to know the

mother while the mother is getting to know them. Caring for the mother and baby every step of

the way.
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Works Cited

"Advanced nursing roles." Texas Board of Nursing Bulletin, Jan. 2017, p. 5. Academic OneFile,

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=lom_accessmich&v=2.1&id=GALE%7C

A485672296&it=r&asid=d54d400823d55a96fb99b48aa5bc88d2. Accessed 13 Apr.

2017.

"Chapter four: attending to 136 million births, every year." The World Health Report, World

Health Organization, 2005. Academic OneFile,

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=lom_accessmich&v=2.1&id=GALE%7C

A154867603&it=r&asid=0c31b3a867f8099c81fd2c3cb92ebb44. Accessed 13 Apr. 2017.

Dekker, Rebecca. July 10, 2012. What Is Home Birth? Retrieved From evidencebasedbirth.com

Michelle. Personal Interview. 15 April, 2017.

Murphy, Patricia Aikins and Likis, Frances E. November 2015. Journal Of Midwifery and

Women's Health. Retrieved From onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Nierenberg, Cari. March 20, 2015. Vaginal Birth vs. C-Section: Pros & Cons.

Retrieved From www.livescience.com