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MIDWIFE
means “with woman”. All over the world, midwives are “with woman” during
one of the most significant experiences of their lives, BIRTH.
Over 80 percent of the babies born in the world today are received into
the caring, skilled hands of a midwife.
Should a first time mother have her baby at home? ABSOLUTELY! First time
mothers often need more support and information on pregnancy, birth and
their newborn babies than experienced mothers. The special emphasis
midwives give to education, counseling and one-on-one care is ideal for
the needs of a woman giving birth to her first child. Follow up care,
with plenty of time given to answer questions, is a valuable aspect of
midwifery care.
Are homebirths with midwives safe? The safety of midwifery care has been
proven all over the world, including the United States. Studies and
statistics demonstrate over and over again that midwifery care outcomes
are consistently as safe – if not safer – than that of any other
provider for the majority of women. The World Health Organization
recommends that all, healthy, pregnant women seek out midwives as their
maternity providers.
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TIME Magazine
recently reported that the United States ranks 41 out of 171 countries
in maternal mortality (women who die from complications in pregnancy or
during the birthing process). In the United States, 1 out of 4,800 women
die in childbirth as opposed to 1 out of 16,400 in 40 other countries!
The main difference between our country and the others is the extent to
which other developing countries provide their women access to midwifery
care. In countries where midwives attend a significant number of the
births, their intervention rates are lower and maternal outcomes are
better.
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