The practice of midwifery, or assisting in a childbirth, has been around for centuries. Midwives handle low-risk deliveries of mothers with no serious medical problems. They spend a lot of time with women before delivery, educating them about diet, exercise, and prenatal care. They help women through the birth process, helping to coach the mother during labor and making sure the baby is healthy. And midwives conduct postnatal care for both mother and child.
Midwives are nurse practitioners, which are nurses with advanced degrees and specialized training.
At Methodist, approved midwives can admit patients to the hospital. Midwifery is one of the most steadily growing nurse practitioner fields in the country. There are approximately 3,900 female and male midwives in clinical practice in the United States. All of them are certified by the American College of Nurse-Midwives. The growing trend has in some cases threatened physicians who believe only medical doctors can give the proper care to pregnant women.