Health Team

After decade-long absence, Raleigh hospital brings midwife program back

Couples expecting a baby are often looking for a more personal birth experience, which can mean choosing a nurse midwife to help them through labor and delivery.

Posted Updated

By
Allen Mask
, M.D., WRAL Health Team physician
RALEIGH, N.C. — Couples expecting a baby are often looking for a more personal birth experience, which can mean choosing a nurse midwife to help them through labor and delivery.

UNC's Rex Hospital in Raleigh is once again is offering that option for expectant parents after more than a decade without it.

Kaitlin Henry, 32, was 33 weeks into her third pregnancy when she learned Capitol Area OBGYN began a new midwifery program with the hospital. So, she signed up.

On her second appointment, certified nurse midwife Cassandra Elder asked Henry about making a birth plan.

"This is my third pregnancy, and nobody ever asked me for a birth plan," Henry said.

Elder said her job is to work in close collaboration with a physician to help women meet their birthing goals.

Roxanne Lundy, 39, wanted to deliver her baby with no pain medications during labor. She also turned to a midwife to assist the birth.

"So, if you can kind of just hold on to something or somebody (it helps,)" Lundy said.

Elder said midwives are filling a gap in pregnancy care.

"The reality is that there's not enough obstetricians in the country; there's a huge deficit of OB/GYNs," Elder said.

According to Dr. George Tosky, a Rex OB/GYN, the shortfall is why more physicians are receptive to certified nurse midwives for low-risk patients within the hospital setting.

"We have everything we need right here under one roof, 24/7, to do whatever we need to ensure the health of the mother and the baby," Tosky said.

Once the woman is in labor, the nurse midwife stays by her side until the baby is out.

Elder said until the birth, a picture helps make the experience more real for the mom and for siblings, like Jonah.

"There is no greater privilege than to be with a woman (during the birth) because women in labor, they're amazing. They're powerful. They bring life into this world and to be a witness to that, it's a privilege," Elder said.

Right now, there's just one certified nurse midwife working in one of the OBGYN practices linked with UNC Rex Hospital, but hospital officials said the midwifery practice is expected to grow.

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