Brandview / 

7 misconceptions about midwives

7 misconceptions about midwives

(Courtesy of Intermountain Healthcare)


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

Midwives have been caring for women for centuries. But until the 1940s, history tells us they were generally local women with good hearts, instincts, and knowledge gained from hands-on experience, but no formal education.

Times have changed, as has the scope of midwifery practice. Ten years ago, midwives delivered 3 percent of babies in the United States. Today, that number is up to 10 percent and is on the rise. Still, misconceptions about midwifery persist.

Here are seven common misconceptions or misunderstandings people have about midwives:

1) Midwives have no formal education.

FALSE. Certified nurse midwives in the United States have a master’s or doctorate degree and are required to pass a national certification exam. There are many different types of midwives, each holding different certifications based on their education and/or experience.

Certified nurse midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs) assist with approximately 93 percent of all midwife-attended births in the United States; and as of 2010, they are required to have a master’s degree in order to practice midwifery.

2) Midwives and physicians never work together.

FALSE. Midwives work with all members of the healthcare team, including physicians. Midwifery care fits well with the services provided by obstetrician/gynecologists (OB/GYNs), who are experts in high-risk deliveries, medical complications, and surgery. By working with OB/GYNs, midwives ensure that a specialist is available if a high-risk condition should arise.

Likewise, many OB/GYN practices work with midwives who specialize in care for women through normal, healthy life events. In this way, all women can receive the right care for their individual healthcare needs.

3) Midwives only focus on pregnancy and birth.

FALSE. Midwives have great expertise and skill in caring for women through pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. They also do much more. Midwives provide healthcare services to women in all stages of life, from the teenage years through menopause, including general health check-ups, screenings, vaccinations, well gynecologic care, treatment of sexually transmitted infections and prescribing medications, including all forms of pain medications and birth control.

RELATED: Do You Really Need a Pap Smear? Here’s How it Can Save Your Life.

4) Midwives cannot prescribe medications or order tests.

FALSE. Midwives are licensed to prescribe a full range of substances, medications and treatments, including pain control medications and birth control. They can also order necessary medical tests within their scope of practice and consistent with state laws and practice guidelines.

5) Midwives cannot care for me if I have a chronic health condition or my pregnancy is considered high-risk.

FALSE. Midwives provide different levels of care depending on a woman’s individual health needs. If you have a chronic health condition, a midwife may still be able to provide some or all of your direct care services. In other cases, a midwife may play more of a supportive role and help you work with other healthcare providers to address your personal health challenges.

Courtesy of Intermountain Healthcare
Courtesy of Intermountain Healthcare

In a high-risk pregnancy, a midwife can help you access resources to support your goals for childbirth, provide emotional support during challenging times, or work alongside specialists who are experts in your high-risk condition to ensure safe, healthy outcomes.

RELATED: First Time Pregnancy Tips: Common Questions of Moms-to-Be

6) Midwives don’t offer pain relief to women during labor.

FALSE. Midwives are leading experts in methods to cope with labor pain. Your midwife will explain pain relief options and help you develop a birth plan that best fits your personal needs and desires. Whether you wish to use methods such as relaxation techniques, IV, epidural or other medications, your midwife will work with you to help meet your desired approach to birth.

At the same time, your midwife will provide you with information and resources about the different options and choices available if any changes to your birth plan become necessary or if you change your mind.

7) Midwives only attend births at home.

FALSE. Midwives practice in many different settings, including hospitals, medical offices, free-standing birth centers, clinics and/or private settings (such as your home). In fact, because many women who choose a midwife for their care wish to deliver their babies in a hospital, many hospitals in the United States offer an in-house midwifery service.

And because midwives are dedicated to one-on-one care, many practice in more than one setting to help ensure that women have access to the range of services they need or desire and to allow for specific health considerations. In 2010, about 90 percent of births attended by midwives in the United States were in hospitals.

If you have more questions or are interested in sitting down with a nurse midwife, you can find one by using the Find a Doctor tool.

Related topics

Brandview
Intermountain Health Care

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast