Midwifery: Guidance during a Third Stage Physiological Delivery - Essay Example

Furthermore, their role is crucial in the family's wellbeing as they must provide proper medical information, pass on informative prenatal care information such as proper nutrition, and exercise, explain the importance of folic acid in pregnancy, discuss the need for immunizations, and also keep patients well information of any other pertinent health care needs that are relative to a pregnancy both before conception and after (Dept. of Health and Social Services 1997). Midwives also have a detrimental role in guaranteeing that their patients are aware of all the possible options that they might have so that they can efficiently relay these to the mother to be.

For instance in the following exemplary case, the patient wants to have a third stage physiological delivery but for this to be possible the midwife must be certain that the health of the pregnant patient is up to par with allowing this type of birthing technique and procedure (Enkin et al 1995). Furthermore, by laying out the choices available to the pregnant patient, the door to an "informed choice" is opened through the midwife's guidance and advice. Informed choice in midwifery care is one of the most prominent and remains the main underlying principle in the treatment that midwives give to their patients (Cook 1994).

Evidence Base Many women turn to midwives due to the choices that are offered to them, far more than a regular OB/GYN gives to a pregnant patient. In fact it could be said that within England, Wales, and Scotland, the new structure over midwifery care that the NHS has instrumented has highly enhanced the services of midwives to the general public, making them more aware of this more natural opportunity available to them in their post and prenatal needs. It has been extended to cover areas that where once minute so that the family's wellbeing is the primary target of the midwives.

This ensures that other public health issues within the family will be subjected to the care and genuine concern of the midwife and the new mothers and other family members will remain well taken care of and kept informed of up to date information in family health (The Royal College of Midwives 2006). This type of intervention in the family's health care regimen encourages a soon to be mum to feel she is indeed an actual part of the prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care services being given.

Often many women state that OB/GYN care from a traditional source makes them feel more separated from the care that they receive while pregnant, specifically at the delivery of the baby and then following the birth. It is not known if this is simply due to the interactions of the OB/GYN or whether it is just the traditional framework that stems from this type of practice. Either way, women want to feel more comforted and midwives offer a more informal and caring environment than the old-fashioned hospital environment can give.

This happens to be one of the most overwhelming reasons why women seek out midwives, due to the fact that they prefer to keep the environment as natural as possibleand it is common knowledge that without the care of a midwife, something other than a