A Midwives Touch

By ANNE SOMMERS

“If you choose midwifery care, you will never think of your OB/GYN in the same way again. When was the last time you spent more than 15 minutes with your doctor? When was the last time your OB/GYN made a house call and waited patiently while your two-year-old ‘hadda go potty?’ How often does your doctor call you just to make sure you’re feeling all right? Midwives do these things on a regular basis – it’s part of their philosophy of care.”

Excerpt from Homebirth Making It Happen by Anne Sommers, L.M. Abbi Perets

You might wonder, why would any woman choose a midwife to deliver her baby? Aren’t midwives relics from the Dark Ages? Aren’t they for the poor who can’t afford a doctor or a hospital?

The opposite is true. Record numbers of well-informed women from all walks of life are choosing traditional midwives for the personalized care so many doctors no longer have time for. These mothers-to-be want to be treated as individuals, not as participants in a virtual assembly line of medical procedures often performed by strangers. Preferring to labor and birth in the comfort and privacy of their own homes, today’s moms are opting for sensitive midwives who become their companions in childbirth.

Throughout the ages, traditional midwives have survived in every culture, supporting mothers and acting as guardians of the natural birthing process. Today, they are trained in modern childbirth techniques, but most still use a variety of natural health alternatives, including herbs and homeopathy.In California , midwives are licensed to provide newborn care, attend childbirth, perform prenatal, postpartum and well-woman care, and can order lab work, ultrasounds and other medical tests. They are also trained in nutrition, how to manage complications and how to screen high-risk women for additional care.

If you would like to have all of your questions addressed during your forty-five minute prenatal appointment, be able to eat and move about freely in labor, deliver your baby in the position of your choice, perhaps in water - consider care with a midwife.

You may contact Anne Sommers, L.M. (951) 461-4779.