Do midwives provide good care?

Question

Why would a low risk maternity patient choose their family doctor over a midwife for prenatal care?

Answer 1

There are lots of excellent midwives who can provide a very good prenatal care. However, midwives scope of practice are limited which coverage won't extend to the level of what a doctor in practice can do.

Though, there are midwives who attained an excellent training and experience and can actually have a performance comparable to any doctor or may even excel over some doctors in some practical aspects of prenatal care, the professional scope and limitations could not be by-passed. Therefore, midwives have to abide with their stipulated professional laws.

Knowing such limitations, some patient would rather choose doctors over midwives for an obvious reason of the thought that doctors can provide wider range of care plus the factor that doctors have more extensive formal education and training.

Answer 2

I choose an OBGYN to deliver my children because I wanted an epidural...I know, I'm a wimp...but I just don't see the point in going through that much pain when you don't have to=)


I would like to add that midwives have a better record for avoiding tearing and cutting the perineum. There are limitations to both sides of the coin, as midwives can't provide a certain level of care that doctors can. However, if you aren't afraid of the pain midwives are the way to go because they tend to take more time with the mother and get to know the families making the whole process much more comfortable.

Answer 3

I'd choose a midwife over a family practitioner any day. In fact, I did. Midwives delivered all 3 of my children, in a birth center, not a hospital. (I had an OB for backup, just in case.) I went home 4 hours after delivering my kids. No IV. No epidural. No drugs.

(To be fair, my labors were about 3 hours each and went smoothly.)

I work in a hospital where we have OBs, midwives and (occasionally) family practice doctors delivering babies. The family practice people know just enough obstetrics to be dangerous.

A midwife with an obstetrician backing her up provides excellent care, in my experience.

Answer 4

MIDWIVES ARE NOT SUBSTITUTES FOR MEDICAL DOCTORS! Regardless of the pregnancy risk you really need a doctor during a pregnancy.

Not to knock midwives but If I was involved I would have a doctor but I would not dismiss the idea of having both.

Answer 5

Women have been attending to birth from the beginning
To think men know better is absurd

We've bought into a belief system with our doctors
Now they have the power, you give your power up to them.
You let them make the choices. We used to be stronger than that. Life comes with risks...they want to fool you into believing they can cheat the risks, hence you give them your power. You can see the results of this thinking. They have taken control, you are wrong and ignorant, and you have to pay a mighty sum for their services

Answer 6

Because midwives don't offer drugs for pain like doctors do.