Alternative Birthing Options

Also gaining popularity during the 1970s were freestanding birth centers. Today, more than 350 babies are delivered each year at the Women's Birth & Wellness in Center Chapel Hill alone, making it the largest free-standing birth center in North Carolina, said Maureen Darcy, CNM, director of midwifery services. 

Darcy, a 28-year veteran nurse-midwife, works with others to deliver full-scope nurse-midwifery services that include: primary care during pregnancy, labor and delivery assistance, follow up baby care, and well women gynecologic care. 

"We assist at normal births and can do forceps deliveries," Darcy said. "We are the first assistants for physicians during C-sections. As nurses, we [also] do Pap smears; treat yeast and breast infections, and write prescriptions for medications to treat these health problems. When problems are beyond our scope of practice, we refer women to [our] collaborating physicians."

Educational Components

During prenatal visits nurses prepare women to deliver their babies at home and teach them how to maintain their strength during labor and the birth process through treatments like massage and positioning that do not require the use of medications. 

Nurse-midwives focus their services on women as partners, said Elaine Germano, CNM, Dr. PH, FACNM, Education Projects Manager for the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Germano works from her Hurley, NY home-office.

"We educate women about their bodies, inform them about their choices and give them opportunities to make their own decisions," she said. "Birth helps women to come into their own power and strength."

Many educational programs around the country offer the option of both nursing and midwifery education. And by 2010, all nurse-midwifery programs will be master's programs, many of which have bridge programs, Germano said. 

Albers added that New Mexico RNs who choose to specialize in midwifery enter a 2-year master's program with "a very intensive, full array of women's healthcare issues and 1000 clinical hours."

On a Moment's Notice

Nurse-midwives are on call 24-7.

"Our jobs often impact on personal plans that involve spouses and families, because we never know for sure when babies decide to be born, "Darcy said. "On the plus side, we get to know women throughout their lifetimes.

"For me, it's been a joy to be a part of the birth experience."

Reference
Rubin, R. (2008, Oct. 8). Study: high-tech interventions deliver huge childbirth bill. USA Today. Retrieved Oct. 31, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-08-childbirth-costs_n.htm?loc=interstitialskip

Joan Fox Rose is a frequent contributor to ADVANCE.