Midwife Model of care
Views of the childbearing process and of appropriate care for childbearing women vary. Two contrasting perspectives are often called the “Midwifery Model of Care” and the “Medical Model of Care.” There are striking differences in the two models. These differences can have a great impact on your experience and outcomes. Here are some contrasts between the two models:
Midwife Model of Care
- Focus on health, wellness, prevention
- Labor/birth as normal physiological processes
- Lower rates of using interventions
- Mother gives birth
- Care is individualized
Medical Model of Care
- Focus on managing problems and complications
- Labor/birth as dependent on technology
- Higher rates of using interventions
- Doctor delivers baby
- Care is routinized **
Naturally, the midwifery model describes the practice of many midwives, and the medical model describes the practice of many doctors. But many caregivers combine elements of both. It is possible, but less common, to find doctors whose practice most closely resembles the midwifery model of care and midwives whose practice most closely resembles the medical model.
Thinking about these different views can help you to understand your own values and ideas about pregnancy and birth, and can help you select a caregiver who is compatible with your needs and values. Many women have a clear preference for one or the other of these models.
Birth Works midwives embrace the Midwives Model of Care.
The Midwives Model of Care is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes.
The Midwife Model of Care includes:
- Monitoring the physical, psychological, and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle
- Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support
- Minimizing technological interventions
- Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention