The term midwifery dates back to Biblical times, but the meaning of the word has changed for the modern day nurse midwife.  When most think of the word “midwife,” they may think of home births or bathtub births, although this is still available as an option in some cities, it is not typical and is not the case with the modern midwifery team at PrimaryPlus-OB/GYN. 

The OB/GYN group located at 927 Kenton Station Drive in Maysville, KY has a long standing heritage in the Buffalo Trace region for over 30 years.  In 2010, the PrimaryPlus-OB/GYN team began discussion of how to expand and grow the practice to best benefit the community.  They knew more medical providers were needed to meet the healthcare needs of women in the Buffalo Trace community.  Midwifery was growing very popular in many big cities and had not been seen in our region for decades; therefore, all agreed that exploring this service was a MUST.  Today, PrimaryPlus-OB/GYN is a team comprised of four OB/GYN physicians, two certified Nurse Midwives and 5 Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners (including one headquartered in Vanceburg, KY and one in Ashland, KY)—all working hand in hand offering open lines of communication to ensure the best care for women and their families! 

Most people are very familiar with the role of an OB/GYN physician and even the understanding of what a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner role encompasses, but many are still unsure about the word “midwife.”  The concept of the term midwife has changed from what is so often the stereotype, so below are some highlights of their education, knowledge and background to give a better idea of the compassion, dedication and skills that PrimaryPlus’ midwives bring to the region.

The Education of a Midwife:  PrimaryPlus’ elite group of Certified Nurse Midwifes (CNMs) have a full background of nursing and advanced medical professional knowledge.  They have hearts filled with compassion for woman and their health.  Nurse midwives typically begin their careers as a Registered Nurse (RN) and then continue their education with an advanced degree program.  For example, in the state of Kentucky they require a Master’s Degree meaning each Certified Nurse Midwife has an advanced licensure as a nurse practitioner also known as an APRN.  Each midwife then must become certified by the American midwifery Certification Board and may also be members of support organizations such as the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM).

Experience & Knowledge:  PrimaryPlus’ CNM’s all have years of prior experience both in women’s health and prenatal care.  The medical team considers their Certified Nurse Midwives a crucial part of their OB/GYN medical family as they assist and collaborate with the physicians in so many areas of women’s health.

The Midwife Role…Caring for Women for a Lifetime:  A common misconception about CNM’s is that they only provide care to women during pregnancy.  For years the term midwifery has been associated with child birth.  However, today’s nurse midwives have the education, skills and compassion to do so much more—they are committed to caring for women throughout their lifetime (teenagers to post-menopausal women).  PrimaryPlus’ midwives offer a complete range of women’s health services including family planning and birth control options; gynecological care; annual pelvic and pap tests; breast health; health education and healthy living; menopausal counseling and more.  Of course, they do serve a very important role during pregnancy including…
-- helping to begin the education process for expectant moms.
--they monitor health and growth of mom and baby throughout pregnancy.
--offer their expertise in keeping the birth normal, collaborating with our physicians along the way.
 --they assist in the labor process evaluating progress and providing emotional support—they are       there to listen to a women’s needs during labor.
--begin follow-up care after birth helping to examine the newborn, provide advice on breastfeeding, infant care and to ensure that the new mom maintains her health.
--provide any necessary women’s healthcare after delivery such as birth control methods, annual exams, etc.

After pregnancy, a CNM’s job is just beginning as they help to coach women through the experiences that come after birth. So, we guess you could say that a midwives work is never done when it comes to caring for women.

“Our Certified Nurse Midwives, with their vast experience and patient-centered care, do a wonderful job in handling the normal female patient’s basic obstetrical and gynecological health needs.  They manage the normal labor and delivery process while devoting great time and concern to the pregnant patient and her special situation.  They support post-delivery care, breastfeeding and family planning.  By dealing with the normal pregnancies, the midwives also recognize the abnormal scenarios and are able to alert our physicians to issues that may require advanced intervention.  Midwives allow our physicians to see more patients who may require more in-depth care for complicated obstetrics and in the gynecological surgery areas.”  states Donald Wilson, MD, FACOG, OB/GYN Physician and Medical Director of PrimaryPlus.

PrimaryPlus-OB/GYN is proud to always welcome new patients.  PrimaryPlus believes in women and believes in keeping them healthy!  Their experienced team of OB/GYN medical providers include physicians…Donald Wilson, MD, FACOG; Laura Shower, MD, FACOG; Samantha Olzeski, DO, FACOOG; Kallie Appleton, MD; Certified Nurse Midwives….Rebecca Hogge, MSN, APRN, CNM; Sylvia Kerr, APRN, CNM; and the Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner team includes…Melissa Redmond, APRN; Katie Young, APRN; Dana Tucker, APRN; Gwen Webb, APRN (Note:  Gwen is located at the PrimaryPlus-Women’s Center in Vanceburg) and Muna Vonderheide, APRN (located at PrimaryPlus-Ashland).  You can learn more about all these medical providers, PrimaryPlus’ other services including family health, dental and pharmacy and their convenient hours by visiting www.primaryplus.net.