As a certified nurse midwife, I believe that the majority of women are capable of delivering their babies without medical intervention. New research has shown that elective induction of labor at 39 weeks reduces cesarean sections, but these results should not be uniformly applied to obstetrical practice.
The certified nurse midwives of El Rio Health have provided prenatal and birth care in Tucson since 1978. While we do induce labor when medically necessary, our clinical outcome data has shown that spontaneous labor carries the lowest risk of complications and highest chance of successful vaginal birth. We annually have a cesarean section rate of 10 percent or less (and only 5 percent of women admitted to our freestanding birth center).
The midwifery program of care emphasizes education, support, prevention and wellness. Women in midwifery care are guided to maximize their health and thus reduce their risks associated with pregnancy and birth. Mixing medicine with pregnancy and birth is lifesaving when needed, but support for physiologic birth should be the first line approach.
People are also reading…
Greta Cohn Gill
Director of midwifery, El Rio Community Health Center
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
