Elderly Care: Helping You Deal With the Dying Process
Midwifery: Three Reasons for Choosing a Midwife over an Ob/GYN
Julio Carr
Whether this is your first child and you want to try everything au naturel or you have quite a brood of kids already and know what you are doing, having a midwife is a very different choice. Many women prefer to have an Ob/GYN doctor deliver their babies in a delivery room, which is typical and expected. When other people around you ask why you chose a midwife instead of your Ob/GYN, you can use one of the following reasons to validate your choice.
Midwives Are Highly Trained Nurses, Physician's Assistants, and Nurse Practitioners
Registered nurses are the only nurses who can be certified and licensed as midwives. Physician's assistants and nurse practitioners may also hold that title, but all three are fully capable of delivering a baby and caring for you during labor and delivery. Should there be any complications (e.g., the baby presents breach, the baby is stuck in the birth canal, etc.), your midwife can notify your doctor and and your doctor can assist in the delivery.
Your Experience Delivering Your Children Means You Just Need a Little Help
Most women who have delivered three or more children already know how long their labor will be, how long it will take to deliver the baby, and how they handle the pain during labor and delivery. A doctor rarely makes an appearance in the labor and delivery room unless or until the baby is about to be delivered. Up to that point, you just see a couple of nurses, usually registered nurses, who provide you with comfort measures and assist with the delivery. Ergo, you chose a midwife over an Ob/GYN because you just need a little help getting the baby out and you would not see your doctor most of the time anyway.
A Midwife Means You Can Deliver at Home with One-on-One Care
Although it seems archaic, some women would really like to have their babies at home. Ob/GYNs do not make house calls anymore, and instead attend all of their patients in a hospital. Also, having a midwife means that you have one person completely devoted and focused on your care all the way through your labor and delivery. The midwife can sit with you, hold your hand, help you with your breathing, make you comfortable in every way possible (except for an epidural), and monitor your baby's progress through the birth canal. All of this can be done in a hospital or at home when you have a midwife like George L Stankevych MD.
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As an elderly care worker, I have witnessed the deaths of many individuals. I have seen family members become angry, sad, and completely silent at the end. I have also seen individuals refuse to see family members out of denial. People deal with death in different ways, and the strong emotions are often unfamiliar and scary. If you have a parent or grandparent who is elderly, then I want to share with you what I know about end of life care and dying process. We are a society that does not talk about death, and this can cause great pain when a family member dies. Learn about the process and find out how to deal with your own emotions and how to love your family members at the end. If there is only a small amount of time left, then I want you to cherish the final moments.