Patient Zakiyyah Madyon felt both cared for and trusted to care for herself. We weighed ourselves in, tested our own urine specimens, handled our charts. And this trust fostered a sense of ownership. This is made possible by intensive prenatal education on infant care and feeding, and the emphasis on drug-free childbirth. We use water.
Moms can be in showers and tubs during labor.
Not even partial anesthetics are given because epidural births, says Watson Lubic, have a much higher cesarean section rate. Episiotomies are seldom needed because of the midwives' patience and skill. If mother or child gets into trouble during labor, there is planned hospital back-up. They make their choice up front. Today, hospitals are imitating the birth center approach with women's pavilions and family member inclusion.