It is fascinating to me when I am talking to moms about birth and the topic of Midwives comes up.   The moms tend to fall into one of 3 categories:

• I love them
• Like the idea – but not for me
• They still exist?

I love them

These tend to be moms who have done a lot of research about birth.  They maybe are planning a birth with a midwife, or have had friends who have used a midwife and wish they could use one too.

This tends to be a small group of women.

It is an interesting idea – but it is not for me!

These moms know midwives exist, but have many questions about why it probably wouldn’t be right for them to use a midwife.  Most of the moms fall into this camp.

• Is it safe?  It is safe for a low-risk mom!
• Are they trained?  Yes, they are highly trained.
• What about an emergency?  They are trained to handle emergencies.  Some moms do have to transfer to a hospital.
• My insurance won’t cover a midwife.  It actually might cost less to pay for a midwife out of pocket, then to pay for your deductible.

Midwives still exist?

It always surprises me to run across a woman who honestly doesn’t know there are still midwives attending births.

• I thought they were from medieval times.
• Is that legal?
• Why would someone need a midwife when there are OBs?

I actually really enjoy talking to these women, because they are pretty fascinated by the idea once they realize it exists.