For generations, midwives have helped women give birth, but as medical technology and the healthcare system have improved, more women turn to physicians for assistance during childbirth. There is still a stigma attached to midwifery care, despite being demonstrated to be beneficial and result in better delivery outcomes. When you choose a certified nurse-midwife Jackson Heights, NY, you hire an experienced professional whose obligations go well beyond assisting women during childbirth.
Despite its long history, the practice of midwifery remains cloaked in misconceptions. As a result, many people have no idea what midwives are trained to accomplish or how they get compensated. Six of the most popular fallacies regarding midwifery include:
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There is no official training for midwives
For most CNMs, a master’s degree in nursing or another relevant subject is required to practice as a certified nurse-midwife (CNM). The state mandates it. Additionally, CNMs must pass a national certification test and renew their license every five years to verify that their knowledge is current. Certified midwives (CMs), rather than Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs), must take these tests, although they are also needed to finish midwifery education coursework.
Natural cures and home deliveries are the norms for nurse-midwives.
There is no doubt that nurse-midwives can prescribe both natural treatments and medicines in their practice settings. Licensed nurse-midwives may work in various locations, including your own home, a hospital, a doctor’s office, or a birth center on their own. It allows patients to get the full range of care they need.
Midwives cannot administer pain medication
Midwives are lovely because they can adapt to the specific demands of the mother-to-be. The use of pain medication during labor is not mandatory for women who choose midwifery care, although many do. Certified Nurse-Midwives have access to IV pain medicine and epidural anesthetic during deliveries.
Midwives don’t know anything more than child delivery
Pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care are all handled by midwives, experts in their field. Then there are the other things they do, too. Women’s health care may be provided by midwives throughout their lives, from adolescence to menopause. In addition to well-woman gynecological care, treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, pain management, and birth control, they also give general health checkups, screenings, and vaccines.
Doulas and midwives are the same
Doulas are not doctors or nurses, nor are they licensed to practice medicine. Pregnant women may rely on them for emotional and physical support before, during, and after their kid’s birth. In addition to offering emotional and physical support, midwives are tasked with keeping tabs on both the mother’s and the baby’s well-being during labor and advising on delivery alternatives.
Insurance does not pay for the services of a midwife
Midwifery services are covered by most major health insurance companies and Medicaid, which is in their best interest. A cesarean section is a more expensive treatment for insurance companies when performed by a midwife, although this is not the case for all births.
Nurse-Midwives are excellent health care professionals for women of all ages, and they may be a beneficial resource during pregnancy and childbirth. It would help if you dispelled assumptions about qualified nurse-midwives.