Home Birth: How to find a midwife?
It is entirely your choice to have a home birth. Laboring and delivering at home doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t have medical resources available to you if necessary. In fact, it is possible to have medical support in a rather customized way while giving birth at home. With the immense supportive care from a midwife during pregnancy and labor, natural birth is a safe and secure way of giving birth to a healthy baby.
However, the challenge lies in finding the best home birth midwife. In fact, some states do not allow midwives to practice legally. Make sure to interview more than one midwife to find the one that you feel comfortable with.
Look through your local phone directory: If you live in a state where midwives are legally able to perform home births, you should be able to locate a few by looking in your local phone book.
Search online: The Internet is the perfect place to search for a midwife. Simply go to your favorite search engine, then type in midwife and the state you live in. You can also look for home birth websites and online support groups, and then ask members of the group for references of midwives in your area.
Ask others: Don’t be afraid to ask friends, co-workers or family members about their birthing experience. If you know women who have had a home birth, ask them who their midwife was.
Check with your State Midwifery Organization: If home birth midwifery is legal in your state then there should be a State Midwifery Organization in your area. First, find out whether or not your state has one. If possible, attend a meeting because this will widen your scope to meet many midwives.
Search for a traveling Midwife: There are travelling midwives who would be willing to travel almost anywhere to assist you with your natural birth process. Key in the term “traveling Midwife” in Google and see who you can find. It is a good idea to join a support group of likeminded people.
Once you have collected the names of a few midwives, it is time to decide which one is the best person to be present at your baby’s birth. Make sure to compile a list of questions to ask each midwife. A caring midwife will take the time to answer your questions and provide you with information. If your state provides certification for midwives, make sure the midwife you select has all of her credentials and licenses. Here are a few important questions to ask a midwife:
What are your fees?
What is your transfer rate?
What is your philosophy on birth?
What tests and procedures do you usually perform?
Will you travel?
Will you be available for my labor or will you have a backup midwife on call?
Are you certified?
What training have you had?
Did you complete an apprenticeship?
Do your research and make sure you select the midwife that makes you feel comfortable and has received the proper training.
Good Luck!
This article is taken from: http://www.ideamarketers.com/?articleid=2598879&CFID=51080058&CFTOKEN=63001413
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