From home births to water births to natural child births, there are many options available to women nowadays that weren't available even a decade ago. With new technology and research, the birthing options have become vast. Even with all the newest tools to help with childbirth, it can still be complicated. This is why you want to make sure you have the best professionals on board during your delivery. One of the professionals you should consider having a relationship with during your pregnancy is a midwife. On average, a midwife delivers about 7% of all births. Over the past decade, the country has seen a spike in the number of midwives. To understand the reason for the rise, it is important to understand the benefits of a midwife which you can find below.
Decreases the Chance of a Cesarean Section
About one in three women in the United States undergoes a cesarean section during delivery. Because of the invasiveness of the procedure, most women and OB/GYNs lean toward a vaginal delivery if possible. While not all c-sections are avoidable, many of them are. To help reduce the chance of having to undergo a c-section, you should consider hiring a midwife. One study found that low-risk pregnant women who worked with a midwife during their pregnancy were less likely to have a c-section.
Reduces the Likelihood of Infant Mortality at Childbirth
While a doctor may have many different patients to focus on throughout the day, your midwife has much less. It is the job of the midwife to focus all their efforts in making sure you and the baby remain healthy both before and after the delivery. Once your baby has been delivered, the doctor is likely to leave and go see other patients. When you have a midwife, they remain there with you until no longer needed.
Lowers the Cost of Having a Baby
Choosing to have a midwife instead of an OBGYN to deliver your baby can be a wise financial decision. Even with a good insurance plan, the cost of having a baby can be high. You pay for doctor visits, testing, examinations, and the use of equipment. Midwives are considerably less costly. In fact, you can hire a midwife for about $2,000 in some areas. Even some insurance companies will cover the cost of a midwife. It is important to weigh the different services you receive with both an OBGYN and a midwife to determine if it is right for you.
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