Midwives and GYN Care
While midwifery may seem like a hot trend, women have called the midwife for many years. The Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) at AHCFW not only provide individualized care during pregnancy and delivery, they also provide personalized gynecological care to women through the different phases of their lives.
If you have previously associated the services of a midwife only with pregnancy, there are other ways in which you can access the services of a certified nurse-midwife.
Here are five wonderful benefits of working with a certified nurse-midwife for your gynecological care:
Midwives have a holistic approach to healthcare
One great benefit to working with a certified nurse-midwife (CNM) is their holistic approach to well-being. In general, nurse-midwives tend to have more time to answer all your questions and help you learn about the physical and emotional changes you experience as you prepare for your expanding family or with your general care.
Midwives can help with family planning
A midwife can be a great resource before you have children by assisting with family planning, CNMs also provide contraceptive counseling and services, including:
- prescriptions for oral contraceptive pills
- IUD insertions and removals
- insertion and removal of hormone-releasing birth control implants
- discussion of benefits and risks and individualized explanations and management of all birth control options
Certified midwives are qualified to care for women long-term and to perform a woman's annual exam
This is just like an annual exam with a gynecologist. The midwife does a complete physical exam including a vaginal exam, takes a PAP smear, breast exam, and will discuss relevant health topics with you such as family care and nutrition.
One reason many women opt for a midwife when seeking women's healthcare services is they feel their midwife is someone who is willing to invest personal time and attention in their needs. From my own experience, the personal time and attention is lacking in many traditional OB/GYN practices. Certified midwives can also assist women as they enter menopause and face hormonal issues.
Adolescent/First Visits patients often find they are more comfortable with a CNM
The current recommendation is to initiate a gynecological checkup between the ages of 13 and 15. Our CNM’s like partnering with our adolescent patients to help provide information regarding healthy choices, address any concerns with irregular or painful periods, or provide care when a gyn problem arises. Our healthcare team believes that beginning regular exams at this age will help to create a safe and comfortable environment for these young ladies to help establish a routine preventative health care relationship.
A Certified Nurse Midwife is an Advance Practice Registered Nurse
A certified nurse midwife is an advance practice registered nurse who provides comprehensive health care to women throughout their lifespan. CNMs are skilled healthcare professionals who utilize evidence-based knowledge to evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients. The AHCFW team of CNMs have access to our OB GYN Physicians in our office and at the hospital for consultation and referral purposes, which helps maintain continuity of care when needed.
This preparation qualifies them to perform examinations, order lab tests, prescribe medications, etc. So, pregnant or not, they are a great resource for overall family care. If a pregnancy occurs, you can rest assured they are trained to assist you in having the most healthy and happy pregnancy and birth that is possible.
CNMs have relationships with physicians in case there is a high risk situation. It's the responsibility of the nurse-midwife to have these relationships in place.
