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Women who are looking
for a more personal, yet highly professionals care during pregnancy
and birth are seeking out the services of midwives.
Family Nurse Midwife
Associates, located in the professional building adjacent to
the Jeannette District Memorial Hospital, offers two certified
nurse midwives, who perform routine gynecological care, as well
as prenatal care. The two certified nurse midwives (CNM)
are Gretchen Cohen and Sandy Mauro. Office manager
Sue added. The caesarian section rate for midwives is substantially
lower that traditional OB/GYN. The rate for midwives is
10%., as compared to 34%. Mauro said she helps her patients make
educated decisions. "I have the best of both worlds.
I get to teach the moms and walk them through a healthy pregnancy
and then continue to treat them throughout their lives"
she said. "You developed relationships with people",
she added. "We are very time intensive, by the time they
have the baby, we know them really well," Mauro said.
She also knows what kind of birth a mother expects and works
towards that goal.
Gerry Carfanga, RN
and clinical supervisor for the Family Birth Place at Jeannette
District Memorial Hospital, said midwives believe in a more tradional
birth and support the woman during the birth.
Office manager Sue
Klosky said the benefits of midwifery are numerous. "We
offer a more holistic approach to pregnancy," she said.
"We don't treat it as a sickness. It is a natural
way of doing things," she said.
She added the nurse
midwives developed a personal relationship with each of their
patients. The women can expect to spend at least a half
an hour on each prenatal visit." Our typical patient wants
to take control of her life," Klosky said.
"We get to know
the patients, she said. The close relationship also provides
strong emotional support at the time of delivery for the mother,"
Klosky said. The midwife stays with the woman the entire
time she is in labor, coaching and guiding her through the process.
Midwifery also helps
put the woman in control of her own pregnancy. "We
encourage our patients to developed a birth plan," she added.
The plan outlines such things as who will be present for the
delivery and who will cut the cord. "One lady had
20 people in the room," she said. According to the
American College of Nurse Midwives, where are currently 195 CNM's
practicing in Pennsylvania. In 1994, Pennsylvania CNM's
attended 6,813 births accounting for 5.1% of the total births
in the state.
Education is the most
important thing we can give our patients, Klosky said. The office
of the practice boasts a large library of books that can be borrowed
on a number of topics affecting women.
Amy McQuade of Saltsburg
is a satisfied patient, having given birth to her fifth child
on June 10, 1998 at the Family Birth Place. While she has been
a mother five times over , the birth of 8lb 10oz Veronica Faith
was her first experience with a nurse midwife.
"I wish a midwife
had delivered my other children," McQuaide said two days
after the birth. She said it was an easier labor and Cohen
was very supportive throughout the labor process.
"She never left
me," McQuaide said of Cohen. She added that her husband
was very pleased with her treatment. "He was much
more involved," she said of the birth of Veronica.
McQuaide also believes the birth with a midwife was easier on
her child then her other deliveries had been.
For more information
on the Family Nurse Midwife Associates, call 724-527-9159.
Midwife care is reimbursed by most private health insurances
and Medicare.
Jonna Stairs
Courier Staff Writer
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