Every Mother Counts: Benefits of Midwifery Care
Midwifery Model of Care:
Our midwives use a “low-tech, high caring” model of care that centers around the family and their informed choices. The Midwives Model of Care ™ has been found to reduce birth injury, trauma, and surgical interventions while supporting the physical, psychological, and social well-being of pregnant and birthing people.
Relative Safety for Birthing Parents and Newborns:
A number of studies have shown that when compared to planned hospital births, planned home births are associated with significantly lower rates of intervention and parental complications, including much lower rates of cesarean birth (Cheyney et al., 2014; Hutton et al., 2009; Janssen et al., 2009; Johnson & Daviss, 2000)
Additionally, high-quality studies have demonstrated that there is no difference in rates of stillbirth or newborn death in planned home births compared to planned hospital births (de Jong et al., 2009; Janssen et al., 2009).
Home Birth Equipment & Supplies:
Licensed midwifery providers in the state of WA carry oxygen, medications to prevent and treat hemorrhage and other emergencies, suture equipment and topical medication to suture mild-moderate tears, IV supplies, and more. Our providers are highly trained in neonatal resuscitation and adult CPR.
Midwifery Integration with Regional Healthcare:
WA state is #1 in midwifery integration (Vedam et al., 2018). This is important because studies show that outcomes are best for parents and babies where midwives are more integrated into the regional healthcare systems.
Due to the unique disposition of Vashon Island, we prioritize the maintenance of critical relationships with our local emergency service teams (EMS and Medic One), DOH ferry workers, and off-island obstetric and hospital facilities to ensure as smooth and efficient of a transport process as possible during emergency situations.
For more information on the latest literature, see below:
Research Trials & Summaries
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An annotated guide to the literature (University of British Columbia, 2013)
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Midwives’ Association of Washington State (MAWS): Guide to the Literature
Guidelines & Position Statements