This time two years ago, I probably couldn’t have told you much about midwives. I’d heard of them — they deliver babies, right? — but certainly didn’t know the extent of their expertise and services.
Now, my awareness is much different. Not only do I know a whole lot about what a midwife is and can offer, I’m also a huge advocate for these healthcare providers. They’re often more dedicated to a holistic approach than a traditional care provider, and there was a distinctly personalized touch Kevin and I experienced during our prenatal appointments before Maggie was born, not to mention my actual labor and delivery with her, where our midwife didn’t leave my side.
That’s why I’m so excited to share this week’s podcast with you: a conversation with not only a midwife, but OUR midwife — the one who delivered our Maggie-girl. Nona Smith is with Baby+Co. Winston-Salem, which offers not just care for women at all stages of their lives — including prenatal care — but also is a birth center where women with low-risk pregnancies can deliver their babies in a decidedly more home-like environment than a hospital, and with fewer interventions.
The birth center opened after Maggie was born, so she wasn’t born there, but we still had an amazing birth experience with Nona at our local hospital. (And you can still deliver at the hospital when you use the midwives if that’s your preference, and get an epidural.) You can read Maggie’s birth story here, or you can hear me tell it on The Birth Hour podcast instead.
I’m always an advocate for knowing your options, so I think this is a great episode to listen to no matter where you are in life. Not a parent yet, but want to be eventually? Take a listen to see if a midwife might be the right care provider for you throughout that experience. Already a mom and done having kids? Or not interested in ever having children? You can still get well-woman care through a midwife group and benefit from their personalized approach. Even if a midwife doesn’t seem to fit into your healthcare journey, I think knowing about their place in the healthcare landscape is important.
So, with that, here’s my conversation with Nona. Enjoy!:
