Why Choose a Midwife Over a Doctor?

What is a midwife and why would you choose one over a doctor?

Isn’t it safer to have an OB deliver your baby?

What if something goes wrong?

I seemed to get these questions a lot when I was pregnant.

What are Midwives?

There are two types of midwives currently practicing:

Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) which is a Registered Nurse with a Midwifery degree on a Masters level.
Direct Entry Midwife is a midwife who became a midwife without the background of a nursing degree. Direct entry midwives include several subcategories which reflect the country they are practicing in and the legalities surrounding it.

Midwives are trained to deliver babies at home, in birthing centers and in hospitals.

How are midwives different from doctors?

Doctors go through 4 years of pre-med undergraduate studies. They then attend medical school for 4 years. After that they spend several years in internship and residency at a hospital in whichever field they are specializing in.

OB-GYNs, or Obstetricians, are studying many different fields of medicine when they are in medical school, not just obstetrics which may be a focus of just one semester.

Fact:

The midwifery philosophy towards pregnancy and childbirth differ from doctor’s philosophy in the following ways:

Midwives view pregnancy and childbirth as a normal, natural process. Read more

Top 5 reasons why swimming is the best exercise during pregnancy

Swimming is incredibly beneficial for our bodies, and even more so during pregnancy!

1) Swimming is an awesome cardiovascular exercise.

When your body is active, your heart rate increases.

An increased heart rate boosts the circulation of blood through your body, which then improves the transport of vital nutrients to your baby.

Cardiovascular exercise is great for burning calories, which keeps your weight within a healthy range.

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Cardiovascular exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, which are “feel good” hormones, also known as a “runner’s high”.

Endorphins help ease depression, irritability, and they are amazing mood boosters! Read more

8 Things to Know when Caring for a Sick Child in the Hospital

Having a child in the hospital can be very challenging.

The following are 8 tips for parents caring for a child in the hospital, from a former pediatric staff nurse:

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1) It’s in your child’s best interest if a parent or family/friend stays with them at all times.

The nurse may have at least 6 other patients besides your child, and will not be able to play with them and keep them company when they are upset or bored.

2) Taking shifts is really important.

Only one parent should be there at a time so that you will each get a break.
Staying over in the hospital can be exhausting, so see if family and friends are able to pick up a shift. Read more