Midwives are the most common birth attendants in the world
In the United States, midwives attended 297,902, or 9.5% of all births in 2000
Approximately 40,588 or 1% are births at home
Taos County New Mexico has the highest percentage of home births nationally at almost 25%. This is due to a long history of midwives and their continuity in the health system
There are 5,700 nurse-midwives in practice in the US
There are 1,215 Certified Professional Midwives
There are 10 MEAC accredited direct entry midwifery schools in the US
There are 47 ACNM accredited nurse-midwifery education programs in the US
Outcomes of Planned Home births with a Certified Professional Midwife in 2000
98.4 % of all the mothers were in good health after birth
98.3% of all the babies were in good health after birth
99% initiated breastfeeding and 95.8% were still breastfeeding at 6 weeks!
Episiotomy rate = 2.1% (compared to 33.0%)
Cesarean Section rate = 3.7% (compared to 19% nationally) - It is now up to 30 % nationally
Infant mortality rate = 1.7 in 1000 live births (similar to hospital outcomes for low risk)
No maternal deaths
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
The Rights of Childbearing Women*
* At this time in the United States, childbearing women are legally entitled to those rights.** The legal system would probably uphold those rights.
Every woman has the right to health care before, during and after pregnancy and childbirth.
Every woman and infant has the right to receive care that is consistent with current scientific evidence about benefits and risks.*
Practices that have been found to be safe and beneficial should be used when indicated. Harmful, ineffective or unnecessary practices should be avoided. Unproven interventions should be used only in the context of research to evaluate their effects.
Every woman has the right to choose a midwife or a physician as her maternity care provider. Both caregivers skilled in normal childbearing and caregivers skilled in complications are needed to ensure quality care for all.
Every woman has the right to choose her birth setting from the full range of safe options available in her community, on the basis of complete, objective information about benefits, risks and costs of these options.
* Every woman has the right to receive all or most of her maternity care from a single caregiver or a small group of caregivers, with whom she can establish a relationship.
Every woman has the right to leave her maternity caregiver and select another if she becomes dissatisfied with her care.* (Only second sentence is a legal right.)
Every woman has the right to information about the professional identity and qualifications of those involved with her care, and to know when those involved are trainees.
* Every woman has the right to communicate with caregivers and receive all care in privacy, which may involve excluding nonessential personnel. She also has the right to have all personal information treated according to standards of confidentiality.
* Every woman has the right to receive maternity care that identifies and addresses social and behavioral factors that affect her health and that of her baby.
** She should receive information to help her take the best care of herself and her baby and have access to social services and behavioral change programs that could contribute to their health.
Every woman has the right to full and clear information about benefits, risks and costs of the procedures, drugs, tests and treatments offered to her, and of all other reasonable options, including no intervention.* She should receive this information about all interventions that are likely to be offered during labor and birth well before the onset of labor.
Every woman has the right to accept or refuse procedures, drugs, tests and treatments, and to have her choices honored.
She has the right to change her mind.* (Please note that this established legal right has been challenged in a number of recent cases.)
Every woman has the right to be informed if her caregivers wish to enroll her or her infant in a research study. She should receive full information about all known and possible benefits and risks of participation; and she has the right to decide whether to participate, free from coercion and without negative consequences.
* Every woman has the right to unrestricted access to all available records about her pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum care and infant; to obtain a full copy of these records; and to receive help in understanding them, if necessary.
* Every woman has the right to receive maternity care that is appropriate to her cultural and religious background, and to receive information in a language in which she can communicate.
* Every woman has the right to have family members and friends of her choice present during all aspects of her maternity care.
** Every woman has the right to receive continuous social, emotional and physical support during labor and birth from a caregiver who has been trained in labor support.
** Every woman has the right to receive full advance information about risks and benefits of all reasonably available methods for relieving pain during labor and birth, including methods that do not require the use of drugs. She has the right to choose which methods will be used and to change her mind at any time.
* Every woman has the right to freedom of movement during labor, unencumbered by tubes, wires or other apparatus. She also has the right to give birth in the position of her choice.
* Every woman has the right to virtually uninterrupted contact with her newborn from the moment of birth, as long as she and her baby are healthy and do not need care that requires separation.
** Every woman has the right to receive complete information about the benefits of breastfeeding well in advance of labor, to refuse supplemental bottles and other actions that interfere with breastfeeding, and to have access to skilled lactation support for as long as she chooses to breastfeed.
** Every woman has the right to decide collaboratively with caregivers when she and her baby will leave the birth site for home, based on their conditions and circumstances.**2006 Childbirth Connection
Every woman has the right to health care before, during and after pregnancy and childbirth.
Every woman and infant has the right to receive care that is consistent with current scientific evidence about benefits and risks.*
Practices that have been found to be safe and beneficial should be used when indicated. Harmful, ineffective or unnecessary practices should be avoided. Unproven interventions should be used only in the context of research to evaluate their effects.
Every woman has the right to choose a midwife or a physician as her maternity care provider. Both caregivers skilled in normal childbearing and caregivers skilled in complications are needed to ensure quality care for all.
Every woman has the right to choose her birth setting from the full range of safe options available in her community, on the basis of complete, objective information about benefits, risks and costs of these options.
* Every woman has the right to receive all or most of her maternity care from a single caregiver or a small group of caregivers, with whom she can establish a relationship.
Every woman has the right to leave her maternity caregiver and select another if she becomes dissatisfied with her care.* (Only second sentence is a legal right.)
Every woman has the right to information about the professional identity and qualifications of those involved with her care, and to know when those involved are trainees.
* Every woman has the right to communicate with caregivers and receive all care in privacy, which may involve excluding nonessential personnel. She also has the right to have all personal information treated according to standards of confidentiality.
* Every woman has the right to receive maternity care that identifies and addresses social and behavioral factors that affect her health and that of her baby.
** She should receive information to help her take the best care of herself and her baby and have access to social services and behavioral change programs that could contribute to their health.
Every woman has the right to full and clear information about benefits, risks and costs of the procedures, drugs, tests and treatments offered to her, and of all other reasonable options, including no intervention.* She should receive this information about all interventions that are likely to be offered during labor and birth well before the onset of labor.
Every woman has the right to accept or refuse procedures, drugs, tests and treatments, and to have her choices honored.
She has the right to change her mind.* (Please note that this established legal right has been challenged in a number of recent cases.)
Every woman has the right to be informed if her caregivers wish to enroll her or her infant in a research study. She should receive full information about all known and possible benefits and risks of participation; and she has the right to decide whether to participate, free from coercion and without negative consequences.
* Every woman has the right to unrestricted access to all available records about her pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum care and infant; to obtain a full copy of these records; and to receive help in understanding them, if necessary.
* Every woman has the right to receive maternity care that is appropriate to her cultural and religious background, and to receive information in a language in which she can communicate.
* Every woman has the right to have family members and friends of her choice present during all aspects of her maternity care.
** Every woman has the right to receive continuous social, emotional and physical support during labor and birth from a caregiver who has been trained in labor support.
** Every woman has the right to receive full advance information about risks and benefits of all reasonably available methods for relieving pain during labor and birth, including methods that do not require the use of drugs. She has the right to choose which methods will be used and to change her mind at any time.
* Every woman has the right to freedom of movement during labor, unencumbered by tubes, wires or other apparatus. She also has the right to give birth in the position of her choice.
* Every woman has the right to virtually uninterrupted contact with her newborn from the moment of birth, as long as she and her baby are healthy and do not need care that requires separation.
** Every woman has the right to receive complete information about the benefits of breastfeeding well in advance of labor, to refuse supplemental bottles and other actions that interfere with breastfeeding, and to have access to skilled lactation support for as long as she chooses to breastfeed.
** Every woman has the right to decide collaboratively with caregivers when she and her baby will leave the birth site for home, based on their conditions and circumstances.**2006 Childbirth Connection
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Choosing the type of birth place.
How do types of places of birth differ from one another? In making your decision, keep in mind that places of birth can vary in important ways:
philosophy of birth
style of practice within the place of birth - this includes the amount of time caregivers spend with you, the amount of information you receive, your involvement in decision-making, and patterns of using interventions
caregivers - a limited number of caregivers practice in any one place of birth
whether specific places of birth are an option in your area - an out-of-hospital birth center or caregivers offering home birth services may not be available in some areas
whether your insurance will cover the services of a particular setting.
www.Chilbirthconnection.com
philosophy of birth
style of practice within the place of birth - this includes the amount of time caregivers spend with you, the amount of information you receive, your involvement in decision-making, and patterns of using interventions
caregivers - a limited number of caregivers practice in any one place of birth
whether specific places of birth are an option in your area - an out-of-hospital birth center or caregivers offering home birth services may not be available in some areas
whether your insurance will cover the services of a particular setting.
www.Chilbirthconnection.com
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Choosing a place of birth.
Why is choosing a place of birth one of the most important maternity decisions I will make?
Early in your pregnancy, when you are deciding about your maternity caregiver, it is also important to make a thoughtful decision about where you plan to give birth, or your place of birth. These major decisions can influence:
the care that you receive and the effects of that care
the quality of your relationship with your main and other caregivers
the amount of information you receive
the choices and options you will have, particularly during your labor and birth
the degree to which you are involved with decisions about your care.If you are a well and healthy childbearing woman (as are most pregnant women in the U.S.), you can consider giving birth in a hospital, an out-of-hospital birth center, or in your home. Our section titled Your Options for Choosing a Place of Birth will help you learn about these three choices, and learn about differences that you may find from hospital to hospital or birth center to birth center. This and other pages in this section can help you find the birth setting that is right for you. It may take some time and energy to find the right place of birth and caregiver. These important decisions are well worth the effort.
www.childbirthconnection.com
Early in your pregnancy, when you are deciding about your maternity caregiver, it is also important to make a thoughtful decision about where you plan to give birth, or your place of birth. These major decisions can influence:
the care that you receive and the effects of that care
the quality of your relationship with your main and other caregivers
the amount of information you receive
the choices and options you will have, particularly during your labor and birth
the degree to which you are involved with decisions about your care.If you are a well and healthy childbearing woman (as are most pregnant women in the U.S.), you can consider giving birth in a hospital, an out-of-hospital birth center, or in your home. Our section titled Your Options for Choosing a Place of Birth will help you learn about these three choices, and learn about differences that you may find from hospital to hospital or birth center to birth center. This and other pages in this section can help you find the birth setting that is right for you. It may take some time and energy to find the right place of birth and caregiver. These important decisions are well worth the effort.
www.childbirthconnection.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
2011 Classes please call 321-972-8676
Our vision is to help Empower Women through Education, Support and Love. To provide the Essential tools needed for women and their families from Pregnancy through Birth & Beyond.