SEATTLE — Many women choose a midwife for care during pregnancy, but midwives can also help through other stages of life.
“We are most known for our pregnancy care, and midwives are experts in low-risk, low intervention pregnancies,” said Mary Mittel, a certified nurse midwife with over 20 years of experience. “But we also provide well women care across the lifespan.”
This includes taking care of patients through a first pap smear, giving advice about birth control and talking about menopause.
While obstetricians are physicians and surgeons who have expertise in high-risk pregnancies, midwives specialize in low and moderate-risk pregnancies. At Swedish, all midwives are nurses with a master’s degree in midwifery and have passed a national certification exam.
“Sometimes you’ll hear people describe a pregnancy as uneventful, and they mean that there’s no complications,” Mittel said. “But a midwife would never say that because we know for families it’s always eventful.”
Midwives provide longer visits with patients, education and discussion about the emotional aspects of care.
“We’re experts in the normal physiologic process of pregnancy and birth,” Mittel said. “We’re also trained to always be monitoring for potential complications and emergencies.
Obstetricians will get involved promptly at Swedish for any complications, and midwives consult with physicians as needed during pregnancy.
Research has shown that the more midwives are integrated into the birth process, the better the outcomes.
“Midwives really have a lot of skills and show up in a lot of different departments and serve families in a lot of different ways,” Mittel said.
Care extends beyond birth with support for lactation and talking about the emotional journey of childbirth and having a newborn.
To learn more about labor and delivery at Swedish, visit the Providence Swedish website.
Sponsored by Providence Swedish.
Segment Producer Rebecca Perry. Watch New Day Northwest 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.