My Fitness Edge

Pregnancy and delivery; a source of joy and pain for the woman.  Obviously joy because of the new baby, but ask any woman, and they will tell you a source of unspeakable pain.

Well it is because of that pain that there are two schools of thought on how pregnancy and delivery should be carried about.  I am going to offer some perspective on one particular school of thought that I have gained first hand experience with by being a homebirth midwife San Diego.

There is the medical model for delivering babies which is tied in with using drugs to kill the pain, and sometimes c -sections to finish the delivery.

While there is another model, which though not widely accepted, for those who believe in it and have experience it consider it much safer and natural for the woman.

That model is the midwifery model as it is called.That model is the exact opposite of the medical model which is usually used.  Where the medical model relies heavily on medicine, hence “medical”, midwifery relies on the natural.Midwifery philosphy believes that pregnancy, labor, and delivery should happen as naturally as possible because it is a natural process.

This model is performed by a group called midwives. Midwives San Diego are generally woman, who attend the birth, often times at the mother’s home.  This midwife would then assist the woman in trying to get through labor as naturally as possible without medicine.

Contrary to popular belief, the non-use of medicine actually allows the labor to happen much faster because most pain killers actually slows the labor down.

The midwife is a profession that has a regulatory board that oversees, certifies, and licenses the individual. 

Although often not a doctor or nurse, some midwives can be nurses.

Even though they are not formal doctors or nurses, they will have some medical equipment for emergencies like resuscitation devices and equipment for suturing.

So in regards to pregnancy and delivery this is what a midwife is and generally what midwifery is about.

Their objective is to let the labor and delivery to occur as naturally as possible.  This reduces the likelihood of a c-section.  Doesn’t allow you to be subject to invasive hospital procedures such as episiotomys.Less medical intrusion will be used such as drugs to speed up or slow the pregnancy or the breaking of the water.And for the woman the best part of all is that labor and delivery usually happen quicker naturally.

My hope is that this information has given you more information on the benefits of midwifery and using a midwife in your pregnancy.At the very minimum, maybe it gives you some other options to think about and look into.  Remember this is first hand knowledge from a San Diego midwife.