Mothers prefer natural births, but there may be risks involved.
Statistics have confirmed it: midwife delivery is gaining more popularity as many mothers choose this method as an alternative for hospital births. The procedure has both advantages and disadvantages, but doctors and mothers agree that it is always best having as many options as possible at hand.
Midwife delivery was considered a thing of the past until approximately a decade ago. Most young mothers were advised to choose a more modern procedure as there are less risks involved. Recently a new method was developed, which could be described as a successful blending between midwife delivery and modern medical procedures.
Hundreds of child births occur each year in midwife delivery units, according to the American Association of Birth Centers. And reports indicate that they will become increasingly popular in the future due to the smaller costs involved.
According to mothers who have had a midwife delivery, costs could be reduced by 50 percent. Additionally, the delivery process is healthier because no drugs are administered during the intervention. Women are encouraged to use their natural delivery instincts which further strengthens the bond between the child and the mother.
Some obstetricians, however, do not recommend this type of procedure, particularly for women who have higher delivery risks. First time mothers, too, should take more options into consideration as these deliveries are usually harder. Although the pregnancy history may not indicate them, problems may arise unexpectedly and midwives won’t have the necessary technology to cope with them.
Mark DeFrancesco, president at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists encourages natural births whenever these are possible. However, he takes more confidence in hospitals because the latter can offer both midwife delivery services and technically assisted procedures in case something goes wrong.
Hospitals are aware of the new trends and they are, therefore, introducing new services for mothers-to-be. According to DeFrancesco these new delivery sections are highly welcomed because they encourage women to breast feed their new born babies and they offer mothers homelike comfort. In addition, experts can always intervene in case of complications.
The American Midwifery Certification Board says increasingly more facilities are opened every year. They believe women should not be afraid of midwife centers as the majority of them hire nurse-midwives who have sufficient medical knowledge to cope with more difficult deliveries.
Mothers, who have experienced this type of delivery were very pleased with the care they received. They felt they were given personalized guiding, which made the entire delivery process a lot easier.
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Melissa Gansler
