Should a midwife be part of your birth plan?

“A midwife will manage your prenatal care and checks, and advise you about all aspects of pregnancy, birth and caring for your newborn,” says Jude Pollack, founder and director of Genesis Clinic in Johannesburg.

“She will help you deliver your baby naturally, whether in a hospital, clinic or at home, with minimal drugs or medical interventions. If needs be, she will refer you to a gynae or obstetrician. After the birth, she will see to your postnatal care and monitor baby’s progress.”

Why you might want a midwife:

You want a more personal pregnancy and birth experience.
You want emotional and practical support both before and after baby is born.
You want to feel empowered and in control during the birth.
You want a natural birth experience, where you aren’t rushed and are encouraged to give birth in a way that feels best for you, be that squatting, on all fours, or in water.
You want minimal medical intervention, such as foetal monitoring, labour augmentation, epidurals, episiotomies, and assisted deliveries (forceps).

Midwives in hospitals

You don’t have to give birth at home to enjoy the support of a midwife. Though still in the minority in South Africa, some progressive hospitals do allow private midwives to deliver babies, and will let them accompany moms and dads into the labour ward and even into the operating theatre for those moms having c-sections. Some gynaes also offer subsidiary midwife services to their patients.

For more information, visit: www.genesisclinic.co.za