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Midwifery programs: A personalized approach to pregnancy · 20-Minute Health Talk

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  When Kristen Sochol chose a midwife to deliver her second child,
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  it wasn’t because she had anything against doctors.
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  She is a physician at Peconic Bay Medical Center specializing in orthopedic surgery.
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  Doctor Sochol valued the hospital's world-class OBGYN team but in her first trimester,
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  she met certified nurse midwife Vandy Ferrer,who is part of that team.
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  The connection was immediate.
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  What is a midwife?
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  A certified nurse midwife is educated in two disciplines — nursing and midwifery — and is certified according to the requirements of the American Midwifery Certification Board.
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  A certified nurse midwife is trained to offer a full range of women’s services,
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  including primary care,family planning and gynecologic needs,
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  preconception care,pregnancy,childbirth,postpartum and newborn care.
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  Midwifery programs emphasize relationship-building by listening,
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  educating and empowering women to care for themselves and their babies.
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  Working in collaboration with the Maternal Fetal Medicine team,
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  they can minimize unnecessary interventions for low-risk pregnancies,
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  which account for over 90% of all pregnancies,with a holistic,
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  nurturing and personalized approach.
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  They are also trained to identify at-risk pregnancies and refer,
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  consult and collaborate with specialized physicians,
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  including maternal-fetal medicine experts and obstetricians.
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  Ferrer has decades of experience as a midwife and is the director of Peconic Bay Medical Center's midwifery program.
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  Like all of the hospital's midwives,she works closely with its physicians,
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  quickly bringing them in if circumstances make that advisable.
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  Studies support the benefits of this approach and midwifery programs in general.
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  In fact,expanding midwife services can help fill gaps in healthcare access,
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  substantially reducing mortality associated with pregnancy and childbirth,
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  according to a study published in The Lancet Global Health.
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  Other studies have shown that in the US,midwifery care is linked to decreased rates of medical intervention in childbirth,
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  less likelihood of C-section delivery,and lower costs.
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  Additionally,research suggests that midwifery services may help reduce racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes.
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  Doctor Sochol said, “I didn’t choose a midwife over a physician.
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  In some ways, I chose both.
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  " From pre-conception,pregnancy,labor and delivery and post-partum care,
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  midwives offer patients the full scope of comprehensive well woman care options throughout their journey.
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  Doctor Sochol said,“I was so impressed by Vandy’s bedside manner and her capabilities that I didn’t have any doubts about choosing her to deliver my child.
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  To me,it wasn’t so much about ‘midwife versus physician,
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  ’ it was about my feeling of trust in Vandy.
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  That’s so important through a pregnancy and delivery.
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  ” Benefits of a midwifery program.
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  Many women say they feel heard when they come to a midwife, Ferrer explained.
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  “The mantra for the American College of Nurse-Midwives is: ‘Listen to women,
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  ’ and we spend a lot of time listening to what women want during pregnancy,
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  delivery and the postpartum period.
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  We work very hard to support a patient’s birth plan, whatever it is.
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  ” Every plan is individualized,Ferrer added: Some lay out a non-medicated approach and others include interventions,
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  such as receiving an epidural to control pain.
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  Importantly, plans are flexible and can be adjusted as needed.
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  If a pregnancy is considered high risk,for instance,
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  Ferrer might recommend an OBGYN who can help coordinate a medical team to manage preexisting or new conditions.
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  If a patient requires a C-section, a doctor would perform it.
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  In every case,Ferrer said,the key at Peconic Bay is coordination and collaboration,
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  not competition.
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  “The team approach at Peconic Bay means that as a patient you’re supported every step of the way,
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  ” Doctor Sochol said.
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  “I loved working with Vandy,but I also appreciated that she had so many resources at her fingertips.
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  I knew she wouldn’t hesitate to tap into them if necessary for my care.
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  ” Ferrer added,“As midwives,we work side by side with our doctors throughout the pregnancy and during delivery,
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  if necessary.
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  It’s easy to coordinate things because we’re all right here.
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  ” Peconic Bay Medical Center has twenty-four-seven coverage by eastern Suffolk’s largest team of board-certified neonatal nurse practitioners,
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  newborn intensive care specialists,anesthesiologists and obstetricians.
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  In addition to Peconic Bay,several Northwell Health hospitals offer expecting mothers midwife programs.
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  They include Huntington Hospital,Long Island Jewish Forest Hills,
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  Long Island Jewish Medical Center,North Shore University Hospital,
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  Staten Island University Hospital,South Shore University Hospital and Phelps Memorial Hospital.
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  Midwifery services also extend to many of Northwell's physician practices throughout the tri-state area.
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  This article originally appeared in the Northwell Newsroom in 2022.
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  It was updated on October 7, 2024.