Midwifery Care is full scope care during all phases of reproductive life. This includes well care of women in need of reproductive care, contraceptive services, pregnancy care, birth, and postpartum care. The midwifery model of care approaches pregnancy and birth as normal life events.

Midwives emphasize physical, psychological, and social well-being for the mother and baby. They often provide more personalized care, education and counseling. Midwives also provide prenatal care, hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support. The World Health Organization states that “83% of all maternal deaths, stillbirths and newborn deaths could be averted with the full package of midwifery care".

Midwifery appointments are a time when you can discuss your pregnancy with your personal midwife, who is a trained health care professional. Your midwife will ask about the history of your pregnancy and what concerns you have for yourself and baby. Appointments are usually 30-60 minutes long and in addition to discussing your concerns, the midwife will do a physical assessment which includes listening to your baby’s heartbeat, checking your fundus height, checking your urine via urine dipstick, checking your blood pressure and other things that confirms that your pregnancy is progressing within normal limits.

A planned home birth means you’ll give birth at home or in a home-like environment instead of a hospital or birthing center with the guidance of an experienced and trained Midwifery care provider, usually a trained Midwife. Women who choose home birth are generally in low risk pregnancies and feel that pregnancy and birth are physiological events and not pathological illnesses, which require medical attention. Home birth can be planned (87% of U.S. home births) or unplanned (13%). It can be attended by a midwife (62% of U.S. home births), a physician (5%), or others, such as family members or emergency medical technicians (33%).

Home birth is a safe choice for most women. Studies are piling up that show home birth is very safe for low-risk women. Midwifery care has been shown to lower the risk of medical interventions for low risk women. There are many studies that show that perinatal outcomes for low risk women in planned home birth are as good or better than those from planned hospital births. Women who choose a home birth must engage in a much higher level of preparation, responsibility, and involvement in the birth. Women who choose a home birth must also be willing to labor without an epidural, although it is possible to transfer to the hospital. The most common reason (32.4% of transfers to hospital) for home birth plans not to work out is because you’re tired and things are progressing really slowly. The other reason (5.1% of transfers) is that you might decide you want an epidural.

Transfers to hospital usually take less than an hour from making the decision to arriving. We will sit and discuss what a transfer looks like for your location, so if you do need to change your home birth plans, it will all be sorted quickly. As midwives, we are trained to deal with complications that come up wherever we are and carry emergency equipment and tools to handle various emergencies as they happen. If I become concerned about you or your baby during labor or immediately after birth, I will make the necessary arrangements for your transfer to the hospital for assessment and care. 

The most important things you have to do to prepare for a home birth are: Make a decision to give birth at home by researching about it, Learn about the birth process by attending some birth classes, Find a midwife, Prepare your home, Prepare your children (if you have any), Prepare your partner, Prepare yourself mentally for a home birth, Get the birthing supplies, Prepare for a home water birth, Preparing physically for a home birth.

10 ways to have an easy labor

1. Getting your baby ready From around 34 weeks, you can encourage your baby to get into the right position for birth. Try regularly kneeling on the floor over a birthing ball or if you don’t have one, use a chair.

2. Stay focused on coping One of the best techniques to get through labor is to focus on the fact that you are coping with the situation.

3. Stay fit and strong Mums-to-be who are generally fit and healthy tend to have a more straightforward labor.

4. Massage your perineum From around 34 weeks, start gently massaging your perineum (the area between the opening of your vagina and your anus) using wheatgerm oil or sweet almond oil, to help prevent tears.

5. Keep an eye on the monitoring Continual monitoring is not recommended in a ‘low-risk’ labor, as it means you’re not able to move around. This can then cause anxiety, slow your labour down and make it more difficult to cope with each contraction.

6. Stay active If you walk around during labor, you should need less pain relief and are more likely to actually have a shorter labor.

7. A midwife led home birth is possible and safe

Mothers to be who have had a straight forward pregnancy and then opt for a homebirth or in a midwife led unit, are known to have fewer interventions and more likely to have a normal delivery.

8. Boost and maintain your energy levels You use up a lot of during labor, so it’s important that you build up your stamina and feed your muscles throughout. Snacking regularly and drinking plenty can make a massive difference.

9. Trust and try hypnotherapy During hypnotherapy, you’ll be taught relaxation, breathing and visualization techniques. These can help get rid of the fear, tension and pain in labor.

10. UFO This stands for Upright, Forward and Over – a great position for labor.