This week we’re celebrating a wonderful group of birth workers who have put their hearts and souls into serving expectant families - midwives.

Midwives are not new to the world of medicine, linking back all the way to Greek and Roman times in historical texts - including the bible. As the years have passed, midwives have often been the only available choice for women, serving rural and impoverished communities lacking in general medical care availablity.

In more recent years, their popularity in modern obstetrics & gynecology has been rising, not only because of the cost of care but also for freedom of choice and care options.

Here are a few reasons to consider a midwife for your birth, per the American College of Nurse-Midwives:

• Decreased risk of needing a cesarean

• Reduced rates of labor induction and augmentation

• Reduced use of regional anesthesia

• Decreased infant mortality rates

• Decreased risk of preterm birth

• Decreased third and fourth-degree perineal tears

• Lower costs for both clients and insurers

• Increased chances of having a positive start to breastfeeding

• Increased satisfaction with the quality of care 2,3

Did you use a midwife for your baby’s birth? What would you tell other expecting families considering midwifery care?

And to our local, DFW midwives, thank you for all you do for my our local women and families. ♥