Choosing a Health Care Provider

Ten Questions to Ask

More Questions to Ask

Philosophies of Care

Midwives

Family Doctors

Obstetricians

Philosophies of Care

Midwives Model of Care
In 1996, several midwifery advocacy groups and organizations came together to provide a basic and consistent definition of midwifery care in order to capture the type of care these health professionals provide. It is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes.

The Midwives Model of Care includes:

• Monitoring the physical, psychological, and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle
• Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support
• Minimizing technological interventions
• Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention. The application of this woman-centered model of care has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma and cesarean section.

Medical Model of Care

Humanizing Birth

Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative

Lamaze Institute for Normal Birth