Choosing a midwife in New York City can be one of the best decisions you make. You should choose a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) who has experience in birthing children. You should also choose a CNM who is willing to collaborate with your medical care providers. This will ensure that your needs are met during labor and delivery.
Certified nurse-midwives
Despite the current shortage of certified nurse-midwives in New York, the demand for this career is growing. Many women choose to receive care from a CNM for its whole-person approach. CNMs provide antepartum care, delivery care and postpartum care. They also prescribe medications. Their work also includes disease prevision, health education and wellness education.
There are two types of programs that train a CNM: competency-based and APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) programs. In a competency-based program, students are required to meet specific credit requirements. They then complete a midwifery education program and are eligible for national certification by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
In an APRN program, the student is required to complete a specific number of clinical hours. This is to help establish a seamless transfer of care between in-hospital providers and OHB providers. CNMs, however, have the option of working in a variety of practice settings, including hospital-based clinics, private offices and research projects.
The American College of Nurse-Midwives has published a number of publications on midwifery care. These include the Practice of Nurse-Midwifery in the United States and What Is a Nurse-Midwife? They have also reported a lower infant mortality rate among women who deliver with a CNM.
Currently, New York is one of only a few states that legally recognize the CM designation. All CNMs must graduate from a midwifery school and pass the national exam of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) to obtain their state licensure.
There are two midwifery education programs in New York. The State University of New York, Downstate is one of them. The other program is the Midwifery Institute at Thomas Jefferson University.
Midwives provide care for pregnant women and newborns, as well as men. Their care includes disease prevention, health education, wellness education and diagnostic testing. They provide care in community health centers, private offices and birth centers.
A nurse-midwife can earn a much higher salary than a regular nurse. However, their schedule can be irregular and their work can be challenging. They can also have a difficult time juggling their other commitments.
Doulas
Earlier this year, New York City released a report about midwifery care in the city. It includes interviews with doulas and midwives. It also offers policy recommendations for state and federal actions.
Doulas are non-medical professionals who provide non-judgmental support to pregnant women. Their role includes assisting with childbirth, breastfeeding support, and postpartum care. Their work is also culturally sensitive.
Doulas can improve birth outcomes for both parents and their infants. Their services have also been associated with lowered rates of Cesarean birth and greater patient satisfaction with maternity care. They also offer emotional support for families and birthing partners. Ultimately, their support has the potential to reduce racial inequities in birth outcomes.
The report notes that the role of doulas is expanding. It cites a number of organizations that train and certify doulas. They also offer free doula services to families. One of these organizations is the Citywide Doula Initiative.
The report also highlights how doulas can help lower the rate of pregnancy-related deaths. This statistic is particularly important in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The report highlights how the role of doulas in midwifery care in New York is expanding. The city will hire 50 doulas by June, with another 50 doulas to be trained by the end of the year. These doulas will serve in 33 areas that have the highest social need. They will also help gather data about the number of births assisted by midwives.
Doulas are non-medical health professionals who can provide emotional, physical, and informational support to pregnant women and their families. Their role is not to replace medical practitioners, but to provide non-judgmental support to families during the childbirth process. The report suggests that policymakers recognize the importance of doulas, and must incorporate the work of doulas in their broader policy initiatives.
While the report offers key perspectives on the maternal health crisis, it also includes recommendations for state and federal actions. These recommendations focus on restoring autonomy to birthing people, and centering the whole person in pregnancy and postpartum care.
Aside from the report’s recommendations, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will also launch a study on births assisted by midwives. It will also expand the Midwifery Initiative to almost 40 birthing facilities.
Collaborate with physicians
Despite the numerous barriers to midwifery clinical practice, it’s important for CNM/CMs to keep a few core values in mind. These include autonomy, collaboration, and a commitment to a woman’s health across her lifespan. These values must be kept intact while advocating for change in the health care system.
A midwife’s knowledge of her profession is a good place to start when trying to build collaborative relationships with physicians. This can help break down tensions and facilitate smooth transfers of care when a medical intervention is needed.
Midwives have made significant progress in providing care to women. In the past century, they have worked through many barriers. While a few continue to stymie progress, they have overcome them.
One of the most effective ways to overcome barriers is to build a dedicated workforce. By working collaboratively with other groups, CNMs can provide care in the full scope of their practice. They can also create trusting relationships with hospital-based providers. These relationships are essential to providing quality care to birthing people.
Educating all staff about the benefits of midwifery is also important. This should include an emphasis on implicit bias and cultural humility. This can help build trusting relationships with physicians and other OHB providers.
Another way to combat bias is to increase funding for community-based organizations. This will help them expand their services and compensate birth workers at a living wage. This will help ensure birth workers are given professional and social supports, and will help them provide care to more clients in need.
Finally, midwives need to keep in mind that working for legislative change can be a challenge. This is especially true when the number of CNM/CMs is small. While a few states have passed legislation that grants midwives significant autonomy, others still have restrictive laws and regulations that limit their practice.
Despite all these challenges, the midwifery profession has made significant progress over the past century. In the future, it will be important for midwives to continue working towards change in the health care system. As they do, they will be providing high-quality care to women, which has been shown to have positive effects on maternal health.
Miles for Midwives 5K Fun-Run and Birth Fair
Throughout National Midwifery Week, Frontier Nursing University staff and students have been participating in various events throughout New York City. These events were designed to draw attention to the high maternal mortality rates in the United States and to the gap in healthcare that is filled by nurse-midwives. The staff and students dressed in traditional FNS uniforms and carried “babies” to draw attention to these issues.
The 5K Fun-Run and Birth Fair is an annual fundraiser that celebrates the role of midwives and honors their contributions to the greater birth community. The event also serves to promote the midwifery model of care and to highlight all maternity care options. The event features activities from yoga to acupuncture and vendors from all over New York. The proceeds from the event will go to Every Mother Counts, a maternal health organization that is dedicated to raising awareness about maternal mortality in the United States and creating community-based solutions.
The Miles for Midwives 5K Fun-Run is a great way to bring the community together. It is a family-friendly event that is a fundraiser for NYC Midwives, an affiliate organization of NYSALM. The Miles for Midwives 5K is also a fun way to get in shape and to connect with the birth and midwifery communities in New York City.
If you want to get involved in the 5K Fun-Run and Birth Fair, register today. You can also submit your race information through the Strava app. You can also follow the event on social media. After you complete the race, you will receive a Miles for Midwives T-shirt and other goodies. The event will take place on February 22 and the registration will close on February 7. You can register for the 5K Fun-Run and Birth fair online.
