EFFINGHAM, Ill. (AP) - Stephanie Gordon has six years of experience assisting women in labor and delivery. But not as a doctor. Gordon is a certified midwife.
She is among the providers at the recently opened Heartland Women’s Healthcare facility in Effingham.
The midwife training for Gordon and others is similar to that for nurses who specialize in woman’s health care, but she can also deliver babies.
Gordon became interested in the field early in her nursing career while she was assisting at a birth. The woman was by herself, Gordon remembers.
“I was her person,” Gordon said.
As Gordon advanced, she sought more training and education before completing a master’s degree.
Now she can provide services, such as pap smears, birth control to moderate the menstrual cycle, and help treat post-menopausal conditions. However, one of the major focuses for the practice remains childbirth.
Her goal with patients is to be a consistent presence during labor - something a doctor may not be able to provide. As Gordon describes it, a doctor is there for the delivery then leaves, instead of being there during the hours of labor beforehand.
In a more traditional medical setting, there are also limits on walking, eating and drinking that not every woman is comfortable with. Gordon can be there for that, bringing a more homelike atmosphere to the process.
Although Gordon is authorized to practice in birthing centers and in homes, she chooses to remain in the hospital. There the patient has access to the tools, medication and services that may be necessary, she said.
Midwives, however, are trained to avoid surgery when possible and allow the pregnancy to proceed naturally.
“We like to make pregnancy a disease. You’re nauseous, let’s get you medication. You’re feet are swelling, let’s treat that,” she said.
Those are natural responses to a developing fetus, she said, and can often be managed without medication.
One effective remedy for swollen feet is sitting with one’s feet raised, she said. The goal is “what is in the interest of you and your baby,” she added.
That includes an understanding that what a woman wants may change, either because of her position or the result of a health situation.
That can be seen in a breech birth, which the American Pregnancy Association says happens in one out of 25 births. That’s where the birthing position of the infant is feet first, rather than head first. It raises the risk of infant mortality and doctors commonly recommend a Cesarean delivery.
To Gordon, that is not the default. The mother can have a successful vaginal delivery, either as the fetus rotates on its own or is delivered in the breech position. The infant can also be manually rotated. Still, a Cesarean remains an option, she said.
A large part of her perspective is one of negotiation and information. She values that patients understand why something is being done, rather than simply accepting it is necessary.
Gordon ran into such a situation herself when one of her children was being born. The umbilical cord was wrapped four times around the baby’s neck. This can lead to numerous health problems for the infant due to limited blood flow.
But Gordon said her doctor told her what was going on and established that she had a limited time to push. She was able to deliver the child vaginally, but knew surgery was an option for the baby’s health if it took too long.
Gordon would like other women to have that understanding at all stages of their pregnancy and their health.
Illinois only recognizes people like Gordon who have gone through training as a nurse and as a midwife.
There is a second category called direct-entry midwives who are not trained nurses. Instead they are required to pass a test developed by the North American Registry of Midwives to be certified. That is a possibility in 29 states, including Indiana and Missouri.
There are also lay midwives who do not have formal certification or training.
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Source: Effingham Daily News, https://bit.ly/2ljxIjn
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Information from: Effingham Daily News, https://www.effinghamdailynews.com
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