What Does A Midwife Do?
Before my wife and I had our daughter, I had absolutely no idea what a midwife was. I had heard of them before, but had no idea these women played such a pivotal role in helping others have a healthy baby. Now I hold midwives in high regards and never hesitate to recommend them to friends and family members who are expecting. In my humble opinion, having a midwife offers a much more personal one on one relationship than you will ever find with any doctor. This relationship makes it much easier to feel comfortable asking questions and voicing your concerns.
What To Expect From A Midwife
Most midwife centers will have an orientation time where you can come and meet some of the midwives and get a better feel for what they do. At this time you will also most likely be given some literature you can read about the role of midwives in the birth process. Essentially, you will discover that having a midwife is going to be an extremely rewarding experience that really helps to guide a woman and her partner through the pregnancy.
In most cases you will be assigned to one primary midwife, who will be your caretaker throughout the pregnancy. You will also be introduced to one or possibly two other midwives, who will help care for you as well, should your primary caretaker be on vacation or with another patient on the day of your birth. This is exactly what happened to my wife and I as our usual midwife, Gabby, was at another birth. However, because of this process, we were already extremely comfortable with our other two midwives and it simply was not a problem for us.
You will be in the care of your midwife throughout the pregnancy, which means you will be going to her instead of a doctor, unless you choose otherwise. This means your midwife will be doing all of your examinations, assigning ultrasound dates, and eventually assisting in the birth of your baby.
However, the biggest advantage to having a midwife, is that she will be available to you for several weeks after the birth of your baby. She will visit you at your home to ensure that your baby is doing well, show you how to care for your baby, and to answer any questions that you may have.
Having a midwife is a decision that you will never come to regret Simply knowing that your midwife is always just a phone call away should you have any questions or concerns throughout the pregnancy and afterwards, is quite a comforting thing to have in such an uncertain time.
About the Author
William Jason is a freelance writer who publishes the baby information site http://babydollstroller.net
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