In 2006 Michael Odent, a French obstetrician known for his pioneering work in researching and developing birth centers, said: “Unfortunately, the role of the obstetrician has never been to help women give birth. There is big difference between the medical discipline we call obstetrics and something completely different, the art of midwifery. If we want to find a safe alternative to obstetrics, we must rediscover midwifery. To rediscover midwifery is the same as giving childbirth back to women and the midwives, instead of controlling them".
We all know that when we are pregnant, we need to reduce our stress, exercise, get plenty of rest and eat right – but living a healthy lifestyle is not always easy or practical. Many cultures have their own system of medicine and it is this philosophy of alternative medicine - chiropractor, acupuncture or massage therapy - that has been moving into the mainstream for years and is now widely accepted as a form of treatment.
Having a baby without surgery or drugs is also becoming appealing to the average family. The practitioners of this art are midwives who are health care experts in prenatal care, labor delivery and post delivery. They assist a woman through all aspects childbirth including the emotional side of giving birth.
Midwifery is a finely tuned balancing act, an ability to provide a helpful human service, practice a medical profession, meet emotional and spiritual needs for all family members involved and all the while appear as a humble, yet significant partner in this amazing journey to life. The human female is supremely designed and equipped to carry out this spectacular feat.
Midwives have attended other women in childbirth since time began. Centuries of skills have been handed down through generations and to this day, worldwide, women still want and need the same support during their birthing experiences as they have always had. Typically, in underdeveloped countries midwives are the only caregivers available as birth is not an illness. Absent any risk factors, women and babies are safer if they are watched expectantly, provided guidance, support and educated but left to their childbearing experience their own way. Only in the last two centuries has childbirth become a subject of modern science.
A midwife’s attributes, therefore, are many and her role is to enhance this already near-perfect experience by empowering and educating the expectant woman and family. She can lend that support because she understands the impact of these factors and their effect on the final outcome for the women in her charge. In other words, perhaps the art of midwifery is in acknowledging and accepting the intangible and unexplainable aspects of pregnancy, labor and delivery and serving as a guardian for a normal childbearing experience.
For example, in our practice we have seen a marked improvement in physiological functioning of, say, uterine muscle tissue, just by removing a negative friend or family member from the room or by speaking encouraging words to an exhausted laboring mother. Midwives are trained and instinctively know to pay attention to factors such as these. The overall experience contributes greatly to the normalcy and efficacy of the birthing process.
Midwives have always understood the importance of the actual journey to delivery. A woman does not suddenly just find herself at term one day. She must navigate all three trimesters and the different obstacles, trials and feelings that each brings.
The majority of a pregnancy is spent in an expectant mother’s head, not her uterus! Universally women report similar emotions and experiences, a sense of “oneness” with all pregnant women prevails. Midwives know and encourage the camaraderie of being with other women and recognize the impact on self- realization and empowerment that derives from these interactions. Midwives, often mothers themselves, offer the reassurance and “mothering” that all women need when preparing for the birth of their own child.
It is this personalized attention and support that makes the difference. The surrounding is a homelike facility, existing within a healthcare system with a program of care designed in the wellness model of pregnancy and birth. The mother is set in a comfortable bed with aromatherapy to tame her fears. With her coach and other supporters there, she can listen to music, read a book, rest in a quiet and serene place that relaxes all her senses. It is widely believed that reducing the stress during labor and delivery also reduces fetal complications.
One of my favorite techniques is vocalization. This is to make noise like moans, groans, humming, deep breathing, chanting or sighing, to manage the stress of the labor. Naturally, humans manage pain by tensing and struggling so to do nothing during contractions is not easy. By responding to the pain however, using alternative techniques, a mother can release the stress and handle the discomfort she feels. A midwifes support, teaching and encouragement enables most women and their partners to manage their experience and later reflect on it in a positive light.
It would appear then that the art of midwifery is best described in the translation of the word itself. Midwife – derived from Middle English means “with woman”. Simply put, the art of midwifery is the art of being totally able to BE with women in childbirth.
About Jennie Joseph
Ms. Joseph is the clinical and executive director of The Birth Place in Winter Garden, Florida. The center provides midwifery services to the local Orlando area community. British-trained and educated in the early 1980's, Jennie Joseph along with her partner midwives currently serve around 60 women a week, with approximately 80-100 deliveries a year taking place at The Birth Place birth center. Contact the center at 407-656-6938 or visit www.thebirthplace.org.