How a Midwife Can Benefit Your Pregnancy Experience

One of the best ways to have a healthy pregnancy and a safe delivery is to receive high-quality obstetric care. You can get that care from an OB/GYN physician, a licensed midwife, or a combination of providers on a team that includes both.

Here at Albany Obstetrics & Gynecology, we want you to have the best possible care experience before, during, and after your pregnancy and delivery. That’s why our team of care providers includes licensed midwives as well as doctors.

Our experts want you to know how seeing a midwife can benefit your pregnancy experience.

About midwives

A licensed midwife is a health care professional who is specially trained to deliver comprehensive reproductive health care, including well-woman visits, family planning, preconception care, prenatal care, labor and delivery services, and newborn care.

Our midwives are fully licensed by the State of New York.

You can see a midwife throughout your pregnancy if you are having a healthy, low-risk pregnancy. In fact, most of our patients receive pregnancy care from one of our midwives. If complications occur that make your pregnancy high risk, you may have the option of seeing both a midwife and a doctor.

The benefits of seeing a midwife

Research has shown that receiving midwife care can provide significant benefits to women and their babies. Those benefits include reduced cesarean section rates.

A large 2019 study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology found that in low-risk births handled by a midwife, C-section rates were 30-40% lower than when women gave birth with an OB/GYN.

In our practice, our primary cesarean section rates decreased from 15% to 9% with the addition of midwifery services.

Seeing a midwife also improves various other health outcomes for both moms and babies. Midwife-assisted births result in lower rates of labor induction, less need for regional anesthesia during delivery, fewer severe perineal tears, and a more satisfying start to breastfeeding, according to the American Pregnancy Association.

Our respect for patients

Our midwives focus on giving each patient personalized care. They seek to provide individualized attention for women who want to participate fully in their health care decisions. Your midwife can also work with you to develop a birth plan that will help you have the birthing experience you want. 

In addition to providing high-quality care during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, our midwives focus on respecting the diversity of our patients, improving access to care, and making sure everyone gets the best care, no matter what their race, ethnicity, sexual identity, age, or relationship status.

Midwives have more time to spend with each patient. They build a relationship with you and are ready to answer all of your questions about pregnancy health, labor and delivery, and newborn care. They are caring, patient, and compassionate.

We’re here for you

If you’re pregnant or are thinking of becoming pregnant, our midwives and doctors can provide you with all of the care you need. To make sure you have the healthiest, safest possible pregnancy and delivery, schedule an appointment with one of our providers by calling our office in Albany, New York, at 518-516-6726 or using our contact form to reach us.