Obstetrician or midwife

Obstetrician or midwife



Choosing between an obstetrican or midwife for your baby's birth is an easy choice for pregnant women with a well-established preference for an obstetrician versus a midwife. For others, the decision can be difficult and confusing.

Whatever option you choose - whether it is with a midwife at a birthing centre or a doctor at a maternity hospital (or even a doula at a home birth) - it is your choice and you should always do what you feel comfortable with, rather than worrying what other people will think.

The main difference between doctors and midwives is that, while midwives are trained to deal with women who are having normal, uncomplicated, low-risk pregnancies, doctors are trained to handle any complications. If there are any complications with your pregnancy, or if any develop while you are pregnant and under the care of a midwife, you will be referred to an obstetrician.

Typically, midwives believe in allowing women to make informed decisions regarding their pregnancies and they tend to incorporate modern medical knowledge with traditional methods of dealing with pregnancies and birth.

Midwives do not feel that births have to take place in a hospital but can provide you with information about the potential risks of choosing other options.

Some midwives choose to work privately, rather than be employed by hospitals and other institutions, in the belief that it ensures that the care offered will be in partnership, directed primarily by the wishes of the women and their families.

Private practitioner midwives are able to provide continuity of care to the families who choose to use their services. During the pregnancy, the woman and her family develop a friendly supportive relationship with their midwife (in some cases e.g. homebirth, the care is shared by two midwives). On the day the baby arrives the midwife remains with the woman throughout the entire labour. There are no shift changes that require the midwife to leave. During the first week of the baby's life the same midwife visits daily until the baby has settled into a feeding pattern and the parents feel confident in caring for their new baby.

Some midwives in private practice choose to work in specific areas. For example, some may offer post natal care, or advice with difficult breast feeding problems (Lactation Consultants). In addition, some midwives are skilled and have qualifications in complementary areas such as; Maternal and child health, counseling, naturopathy, reiki, kinesiology, massage and homeopathy.

Many people associate midwives with a less sterile approach to pregnancy and birthing and believe that they generally give more attention to their patients than doctors. This is not because doctors don't want to spend time with their patients but is usually because the workload of a doctor in a hospital ward is very busy. If you have chosen to engage a private midwife to support you throughout your pregnancy and a home birth experience than you will have had the opportunity to form a strong bond with her and can be assured of her undivided attention to you.

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This article was written by Claire Halliday for Australia's leading pregnancy resource, Kidspot. Sources include Midwives in Private Practice.


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