Physician Or Midwife? San Francisco Alternative Childbirth Services
By temp
Several years ago, I read a University of Washington study that was published in the American Journal of Health. The study revealed that, for a number of reasons, women may be better off choosing midwives, as opposed to physicians, for their obstetrical care. While family doctors and obstetricians also achieve excellent results, women who use midwives have a much lower rate of episiotomy (surgery that assists childbirth), receive less anesthesia, have fewer Caesarean sections, and incur less medical expense, compared to women who choose physicians.

Researchers in the study took a random sample of urban practitioners in the state of Washington that perform hospital deliveries; these included family doctors, nurse midwives, and obstetricians. They also took a random sample of low-risk patients, looking at 1,322 medical charts for over a thousand variables. The researchers analyzed the status of all the mothers and babies prenatally, during, and after birth. The study found that the patients of certified midwives were less likely to have their labor augmented or induced, less likely to need continuous fetal monitoring, and less likely to receive epidurals. Overall, patients of midwives used 12% fewer medical resources than patients of physicians.

According to Dr. Roger A. Rosenblatt, principal investigator in the study, "Nurse midwives establish a relationship with their patients that leads to excellent outcomes with less use of medical resources." While this is an important point, let it be known that a woman who chooses to use the aid of a midwife over a physician is usually not preoccupied with resources. She's generally more concerned about the safety, health and comfort of herself and the baby. The mother knows that while the

labor will probably be more physically intense without any medical intervention, it will create an immediate bond between she and the infant. In terms of hiring a midwife, San Francisco, where I live, has a tremendous number of options for not only midwifery services but also other alternative childbirth services. While using a midwife isn't for everyone, there shouldn't be any reason why a woman can't find a birthing choice that is right for her.

When it comes to midwifery and natural childbirth, San Francisco has a vast network of skilled practitioners that specialize in the less intrusive styles of obstetric care. Whether you choose to use a nurse midwife or a direct-entry midwife who specializes in home birth, San Francisco has a wealth of resources. It's really all about finding the person that you're most comfortable with, as you'll be sharing some very personal time with this complete stranger. Most women find that forming a bond with a midwife throughout their pregnancies lends itself to a much more pleasant and less frightening experience. This is a great support system that most physicians cannot provide. While the majority of babies in other countries are born with the aid of a midwife, midwife-assisted births account for a very small percentage of deliveries in the United States.

Written by Kacy Suther. California's holistic midwife: San Francisco. Angelika Nugent provides natural childbirth San Francisco and services for home birth; San Francisco pre-natal and post-partum care.