Buitron 1

Lee High School

What are the benefits with having a midwife rather than an OB-GYN?

Rough Draft

Steffania

Senior Capstone

Peter Foote

April 13, 2017

 Buitron 2

Steffania Buitron

Peter Foote

Capstone Research

March 30, 2017

Capstone rough draft paper:

Imagine having the certification and proper skills to bring a new life into the world. Sit

back and enjoy this amazing experience, the midwife has everything under control. From the first

blood tests and vitamins to the first push and hearing the first cry. There's a lot of advantages

of choosing a midwife over an OB-GYN. Being able to guide a mother as she prepares for one

of the most important events in her life is such an exciting feeling and an unforgettable

experience. Unfortunately the outcome of a pregnancy is not always great. The mother herself

also unfortunately does not always make it. 529,000 maternal deaths per year. (World Health

Report, 2005). It is very important to be their for not only the baby but the family as well,

whether the pregnancy had a good or bad outcome. Midwifery is a career that provides you to

welcome a new life but also say goodbye to some. You are changing people's lives and they are

changing yours as well.

The career of a midwife is opening more job opportunities and is expected to increase in

job opportunities. Creating more opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds to

enter midwifery education programs, and ultimately the workforce, would increase and enrich

our numbers. (Patricia Aikins Murphy and Frances E. Likis. Journal, 2015) What is a

midwife? A midwife (CNM) is a certified nurse midwife, they are specialized in natural births

only. A midwife will look after a mother throughout the entire pregnancy. Providing her with all
 Buitron 3

the prenatal she will need, keeping track of the fetal development, and giving the mother

physical exams. When its time to delivery if everything has gone smoothly and looks good. The

midwife herself will deliver the baby. They may only deliver babies if they are certified. The

educational requirements to becoming a midwife are getting your bachelor's degree in nursing,

start a registered nursing experience, get your associate's degree by completing a midwifery

educational program, and finally getting your certification. Unfortunately not everything is

always good for a midwife they do have their downsides. Long hours up without sleep when on

call and away from family. (Michelle. Interview, 2017)

Getting to know the person who will be delivering your baby is very important. Creating

a bond with either your OB-GYN or midwife should always be something a mother does.

Although, it is mostly true that its easier to create a bond with a midwife than it is with an

OB-GYN. OB-GYNs are always very busy and running back and forth from surgery. When you

meet with your OB it is for a very short amount of time because they are very busy and attend

many patients at once. When asked a question they give very short quick answers. When it

comes to the actual delivery the OB who has been attending the patient will most likely not

deliver your baby. It will be which ever doctor is on call at that moment. OBs tend to stay very

professional and not get involved with the emotional side of the pregnancy. You also will most

likely only see them when it is time for the baby to come out. They deliver and move on to the

next patient. A midwife becomes your guide and sticks with you through the entire journey. You

spend much more one on one time with her/him. If asked a question they will make sure to go

through all the details with you and have you well informed. The patient gets to know them

personally so that makes the pregnancy a lot more comfortable for the mother. The midwife you
 Buitron 4

choose will be the one to deliver your baby. They are more involved with the personal and

emotional side of the pregnancy. They will still be with you after delivery looking after you and

the baby. They are making sure to better themselves for their patients. Nurses who practice in

these roles contribute significant knowledge and expertise in key areas of nursing practice that

ultimately contributes to patient care through improved patient outcomes and advancing nursing

science. (Board Of Nurse Examiners. Journal, 2017) They are making sure you get the care you

deserve.

A mother should always have the right to make her own decisions and state her thoughts

on her pregnancy process. An issue that mothers run into with OBs is that they are very

professional and care too little on what you think or say. A midwife on the other hand is here to

serve her needs and wants. Making sure they receive the care and information that they deserve.

She makes sure that you and her both create the best birth plan for you and your baby. She takes

all of your thoughts into consideration and guides them to the correct choices for their specific

pregnancy. She makes them aware of the mandatory tests they will need and then also informs

the patient on voluntary tests that she may take if she would like too. Midwives are very good

with working and compromising with their patients. OBs tend to take control and not listen to

what a mother has to say. They do not ask they just do. Patients take tests that they are not aware

are optional because their OB never informed them. They make patients take unnecessary and

non mandatory exams without discussing it with their patients. They are very busy so they don't

bother taking the extra mile to inform and guide their patient.

Not all mothers are completely comfortable with a hospital setting. Home birth is a huge

advantage that midwives have over an OB. OBs may do a homebirth but it is extremely rare,
 Buitron 5

they do not enjoy this. Many patients request and enjoy having a home birth. Having a familiar

setting relaxes the mother which makes the delivery go alot smoother. Being in your own home

makes the experience much more sentimental and memorable for the patient, being able to share

this moment with their family in their home. A home birth is typically a water birth. Water births

are extremely beneficial to a mom and her baby. The mother has a lot of control on the labor, she

is allowed to make decisions on how she would like her labor to go about she also feels a lot less

pain because of the soothing warm water. The warm water in the tub is also a similar feeling to

the womb of the mother. So the newborn enters the world very calm and is less likely to overly

cry once born. Of course the mom and baby are able to enjoy a peaceful moment together in the

pool. They bond skin to skin. Another amazing advantage is if the dad would like to and the

mother allows he may get into the tub with her to support and enjoy this experience with his

significant other, they are able to see the baby that they created come into the world.

There is plenty of benefits over having a natural birth over a c-section. Midwives

specialize in natural births while OB-GYNs specialize in non natural births such as c-sections.

Whether it is vaginal or surgical the goal is always to have a healthy baby. A surgical birth will

be done when a pregnancy becomes risky and complicated. A natural birth is the best way to go.

Although it is hard work for the mother, the hard work pays off in the end. To start, your stay in

the hospital is much shorter than a surgical birth. If the baby is delivered surgically the mother

cannot feel a thing. Most would say that this is not as rewarding as being able to feel bringing

your baby into the world. Another con of surgical birth is not having bonding time with your

baby after he/she/they are born. You get a look at your baby but you may not hold it. You have

to be sewn up and recover since you were cut open. If you delivered naturally you hold your
 Buitron 6

baby as soon as it comes out and get to enjoy some skin to skin bonding with your little one. You

may also begin with breastfeeding which you cannot do with a surgical delivery. If you have a

natural birth depending on your selected delivery place. This career provides plenty of rewarding

moments. Helping a mom birth her baby and show her what her body is made to do and that she

can do it; being part of a familys most joyous experience. (Michelle. Interview, 2017) You may

pick between water birth or a typical bed birth.

At the end of the day choosing between a midwife and an OB-GYN is completely up to

the mother and what she feels the most comfortable with. It is extremely important to research

both and learn the pros and cons that they come with. Being well informed will help a patient

make the best decision. A midwife has a lot of advantages over an OB. The care that a midwife

is one of a kind. They create a very good bond with the mother and help guide her down the best

path for her pregnancy. Making sure that your experience unforgettable and one of a kind. They

grow and share that sentiment emotional feeling with the family. Getting to know you while

youre getting to know them. Caring for you every step of the way.
 Buitron 7

Works Cited Page

"Chapter four: attending to 136 million births, every year." The World Health Report, World Health

Organization, 2005. Academic OneFile,

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=lom_accessmich&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA154867603&it=r&

asid=0c31b3a867f8099c81fd2c3cb92ebb44. Accessed 13 Apr. 2017.

Murphy, Patricia Aikins and Likis, Frances E. November 2015. Journal Of Midwifery and Women's

Health. Retrieved From onlinelibrary.wiley.com

"Advanced nursing roles." Texas Board of Nursing Bulletin, Jan. 2017, p. 5. Academic OneFile,

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=lom_accessmich&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA485672296&it=r&

asid=d54d400823d55a96fb99b48aa5bc88d2. Accessed 13 Apr. 2017.

Michelle. Personal Interview. April 2017.

Dekker, Rebecca. July 10, 2012. What Is Home Birth? Retrieved From evidencebasedbirth.com

Nierenberg, Cari. March 20, 2015. Vaginal Birth vs. C-Section: Pros & Cons.

Retrieved From www.livescience.com