Choosing a Care Provider: Beyond the Midwife/Doctor Debate

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Midwife, Family Doctor, or Obstetrician? The decision is more nuanced than you think. Here’s everything we have so far on the subject of choosing your care provider. 

 

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Hiring Your Care Provider

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Dutch Research Shows Communication is Crucial in Childbirth~ Despite what most may think, it’s not the physical pain or serious medical interventions that make childbirth so intensely challenging. According to new Dutch research, it’s actually the lack of clear communication and emotional support that determines how traumatic the childbirth experience turns out to be. I Am Expat (June 9, 2017)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/dutch-expat-news/dutch-research-shows-communication-crucial-childbirth

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How to Find an OBGYN Provider Who Embraces Your Approach~ Pregnancy should be filled with happy preparations and hope for the future. One of the best ways to ensure that your prenatal care, birth, and postpartum care go smoothly is to find an OBGYN you like and trust. Feeling safe and comfortable with your obstetrician will help generate a positive experience for you and your growing family. Here are some tips and advice to guide you. Dignity Health (May 10, 2017)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.dignityhealth.org/articles/how-to-find-an-obgyn-provider-who-embraces-your-approach

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New Intrapartum Care Guideline from the World Health Organization Focuses on a Positive Childbirth Experience~ Notably, the guideline recommends respectful maternity care and companionship of choice during labor and childbirth for all women. WHO also states that unnecessary medical procedures should be avoided if labor is progressing normally and the woman and her baby are in good condition. The Maternal Health Task Force (February 15, 2018)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.mhtf.org/2018/02/15/new-intrapartum-care-guidelines-from-the-world-health-organization-focus-on-a-positive-childbirth-experience/

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Do Provider Birth Attitudes Influence Cesarean Delivery Rate: A Cross-Sectional Study~ A study finds a link between cesarean birth for a first time mother with a single head-down baby and their attitude toward birth. More evidence to choose your provider carefully. BMC (May 29, 2018)

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Copy/Paste link: https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-018-1756-7

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10 Questions to Help You Choose a Care Provider~ Be sure to ask these important interview questions. Fit Pregnancy article (no date posted)

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Copy/Paste link: https://web.archive.org/web/20160313192600/https://www.fitpregnancy.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-health/10-questions-help-you-choose-care-provider

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The Cost of Assuming Your Doctor Knows Best~ While it’s important to have a good care provider, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t also question them when something doesn’t feel right. Wbur (November 13, 2017)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2017/11/13/diagnostic-medical-error-mistake-vinita-parkash

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Low Intervention Birth: 6 Questions to Ask Care Providers~ Improving Birth article, US-based but has some good tips on what to ask a care provider in order to determine whether they are supportive of physiological birth. (2019)

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Copy/Paste link: https://improvingbirth.org/2019/03/low-intervention-birth/

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Don’t Feel Supported By Your OBGYN or Midwife? Leave~ A mother changes practices in the second and third trimesters for her pregnancies. (Babies Rabies, February 23, 2017)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.babyrabies.com/2017/02/dont-feel-supported-by-your-obgyn-or-midwife-leave/

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Twelve Signs You Can Trust Your Care~ Here are the 12 signs you can trust your care provider/what to look for when interviewing CPs. Improving Birth (November 6, 2014)

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Copy/Paste link: https://improvingbirth.org/2014/11/trust/

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8 Red Flags That You Are With The Wrong Care Provider~ Do you see any of these red flags? Improving Birth (June 2, 2014)

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Copy/Paste link: https://improvingbirth.org/2014/06/red-flags/

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Does Your Doctor Hate It When You Google?~ Can we really blame patients for Googling? For taking some responsibility for their own health? For not wanting to make decisions in blind faith? Improving Birth (August 22, 2016)

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Copy/Paste link: https://improvingbirth.org/2016/08/when-you-google/

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Obstetric Lie #94: We Care About Your Birth Plan~ If a care provider makes you feel like you NEED a birth plan to protect you, then you are with the wrong care provider (and they probably won’t follow your birth plan). Mama Birth (March 18, 2011)

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Copy/Paste link: https://web.archive.org/web/20160112173859/http://www.mamabirth.com/2011/03/obstetric-lie-94-we-care-about-your.html

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Stop! I Want to Get Off the Conveyor Belt of Birth~ If you are pregnant and reading this, it is my most sincere hope that you understand that you do not have to be dragged along the conveyor belt of birth. You have options and you can make really good choices for your birth. You will have a more positive experience and that is your RIGHT. It is okay to have high expectations of your birth. It is okay to want more than to come out of your birth alive and with a healthy baby. That is the absolute bare minimum that you should expect. That is a given. BirthWell BirthRight (March 2018)

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Copy/Paste link: http://birthwellbirthright.com/stop-want-get-off-conveyor-belt-birth/

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Thanks to the Patriarchy for Standing Back~ “Had he waltzed in and declared it too dangerous, it would have been show over, slice away. Luckily, the dude saw this birth for what it was; urgent but not critical — he was not needed.” Romper (October 18, 2018)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.romper.com/p/thanks-to-the-patriarchy-for-standing-back-12255678

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Who Delivered Your Baby?~ Ashley Greenwald Tragash talks about how this type of language disempowers the mother as the one birthing her baby and puts focus on the care provider. Ted Talks on Youtube (February 14, 2017)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8CU7QqYsGE&feature=youtu.be

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All About Midwives

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Does a Larger Role for Midwives Mean Better Care?~ A new study, a systematic look at what midwives can and can’t do in the states where they practice, offers new evidence that empowering them could significantly boost maternal and infant health. The five-year effort by researchers in Canada and the U.S., published Wednesday, found that states that have done the most to integrate midwives into their health care systems. NPR (February 22, 2018)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.npr.org/2018/02/22/587953272/does-a-larger-role-for-midwives-mean-better-care

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The Results Are In! Birth Centres = Better Outcomes~ According to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) study, Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns, individuals with Medicaid who received prenatal care in birth centers like The Midwife Center experienced better birth outcomes compared to the rest of the nation, on average.

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Copy/Paste link: https://midwifecenter.org/news_posts/groundbreaking-cms-study-shows-better-outcomes-and-lower-costs-at-birth-centers?platform=hootsuite

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Midwifery Care is Shown to Lead to Better Outcomes (again)~ Another study has shown that receiving pregnancy care from a midwife can reduce the chance of having problems (McRae et al 2018). This time, the focus was on women of low socioeconomic position and the researchers looked at three particular types of problem: having a small baby (described in the study as SGA, or small for gestational age), having a pre-term birth (PTB) and having a baby with a low birth weight (LBW). Dr. Sara Wickham (November 25, 2018)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.sarawickham.com/research-updates/midwifery-care/

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Responsibilities in the Mother-Midwife Relationship~ What is your midwife's role in decision making? Rachel Reed lays it all out in this blog post. Midwife Thinking

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Copy/Paste link: https://midwifethinking.com/2016/06/28/responsibilities-in-the-mother-midwife-relationship/

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Bond Between a Mother and Midwife Key To a Happy Birth: Research~ Women who are cared for by the same midwife throughout their pregnancy are less likely to need intervention such a caesarian sections during labour and are less likely to report a traumatic birth, research has found. The Age (October 25, 2015)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/bond-between-mother-and-midwife-key-to-a-happy-birth-research-20151025-gkhrv5.html#ixzz3pnetMvvB

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More Moms Considering Midwifery As An Option~ As more moms become aware that midwifery IS an option, more moms choose it over “traditional” birth. Coast Reporter (December 22, 2016)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.coastreporter.net/in-the-community/more-moms-considering-midwifery-as-an-option-3401347

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9 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Midwife~ Pretty standard questions to ask for any care provider, with the exception of birth location. Today’s Parent (February 15, 2018)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.todaysparent.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/questions-to-ask-before-choosing-a-midwife/

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Let Midwives & GPs Attend Low Risk Births~ These days, obstetricians attend nearly 70 percent of all low-risk births in Canada. And that number is growing, as they squeeze family doctors out of the delivery room. But a study just published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal says OBGYNs should not be the only option. And not just family doctors either. CBC (August 24, 2015)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/whitecoat/blog/let-midwives-gps-attend-low-risk-births-1.3201894

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5 Things That Secretly Upset Your Midwife~ There are a lot of misconceptions about midwifery care that can discourage people from thinking they’re a valid and safe option. Generations Midwifery (August 29, 2016)

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Copy/Paste link: http://generationsmidwifery.ca/5-things-that-secretly-upset-your-midwife/

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The Quality of Care a Midwife Provides is Priceless~ Midwifery care is a personalized relationship in addition to evidence-based care. Mothering (June 13, 2016)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.mothering.com/threads/the-quality-of-care-a-midwife-provides-is-priceless.1624411/

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Special Concerns for Marginalized Groups

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On “Commonsense Childbirth”: A Q & A With Midwife Jennie Joseph~ A midwife works within the U.S. to make birth safer for women of color. Rewire (July 26, 2016)

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Copy/Paste link: https://rewirenewsgroup.com/2016/07/26/commonsense-childbirth-qa-midwife-jennie-joseph/

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Government of Canada Announces Funding for First Nations and Inuit Midwifery~ Our Indigenous women gain more options for maternity care. Cision (June 19, 2017)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-announces-funding-for-first-nations-and-inuit-midwifery-629389663.html

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For Canadian Families

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New Brunswick to Bring Back Midwives In Pilot Project~ Health department to hire 4 midwives in the next year. CBC News (February 19, 2016)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/midwives-new-brunswick-1.3456420

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Midwives to be Recognized as Healthcare Professionals in N.L.~ Newfoundland gets midwifery care. CBC News (April 28, 2016)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/midwifery-legislation-1.3557355

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University of Manitoba Reaches Agreement on Midwifery Program with McMaster~ The University of Manitoba has reached an agreement with an Ontario school so that 14 midwifery students can continue studying this fall. CBC News (August 5, 2016)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-midwifery-mcmaster-1.3709466

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Midwife Assoc. Pres Expects Growth~ Midwives are present at the birth of one in five B.C. babies, according to Bacon. But despite increasing popularity, the profession is still somewhat misunderstood. North Shore News (October 26, 2016)

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Copy/Paste link: https://www.nsnews.com/living/midwife-assoc-pres-expects-growth-3041130

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B.C. Calls the Midwife: Province Reports Highest Rate of Midwife-Assisted Births in Canada~ B.C. has the country’s leading rate in in midwife-assisted births, resulting in estimated government savings of $4.6 million in less than two years, a new report says. Vancouver Sun (October 28, 2016)

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Copy/Paste link: https://vancouversun.com/health/family-child/b-c-calls-the-midwife-province-reports-highest-rate-of-midwife-assisted-births-in-canada

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Midwifery Reaches Milestone With its 1000th Arrival— South Delta Midwifery assists in the birth of 1000 babies. Delta Optimist (March 29, 2017)

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BC Now Has the Highest Rate of Midwife-Assisted Births in Canada— more women in BC are choosing midwives. CityNews (October 30, 2016)

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Few Provinces Now Without Midwives As Services Begin in NB— New Brunswick joins the rest of the provinces in offering midwifery care to women. CTV News Atlantic (October 13, 2017)

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Midwives Open Practice in Salmon Arm— The Shuswap region of the BC Interior adds midwifery as an option to residents. Salmon Arm Observer (December 11, 2017)

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Midwives Set up Shop in Mile 0 City— Dawson Creek & District Hospital in Northern BC implements midwifery care in their options for pregnant women. The Mirror (January 16, 2018)

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Why More Women Are Calling for Midwives in Kelowna— a brief history of how Canadian mothers/consumers gained access to midwifery services and more birth options. Kelowna Now (January 27, 2018)

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6 Differences Between Using a Doctor and a Midwife— the difference between midwives and doctors in BC, specifically Abbotsford. Pictures taken at West Coast Health Collective. Creative Wife & Joyful Worker (April 4, 2018)

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