If you’re pregnant or planning a family in the future, it’s crucial to take time to consider your birthing options. For mothers-to-be, looking for an alternative to the traditional hospital delivery, a midwife experienced in home birth can be an excellent option. Here is a helpful guide to understanding the difference between an OBGYN and a midwife to help make the decision that’s best for you.

Midwife vs. OBGYN

What Is a Midwife?

A midwife is a caring professional trained in helping pregnant women prepare for and deliver their babies, which can be done either at a birthing center or from the comfort of the mother’s home. Depending on the midwife’s practice, she may also offer assistance following delivery to ensure the mother and her baby are bonding and remaining happy and healthy.

How Does a Midwife Differ from an OBGYN?

While a midwife goes through specialized training before beginning her practice, the duration of her training is less than that of a certified OBGYN, who is required to perform surgical cesarean sections. Since midwifery is a holistic birthing practice, it is best for mothers who desire personalized labor support and minimal medical attention.

That being said, the home birth approach is ideal for normal pregnancies that result in healthy vaginal births rather than high-risk pregnancies, such as twin deliveries or mothers with gestational diabetes. For high-risk mothers or pregnant women who have previously delivered via cesarean section, a midwife may still be included during the pregnancy and delivery process to work with your OBGYN and create a more personalized, caring experience at the hospital.

Is a Midwife Right for You?

If your pregnancy is considered low-risk, you desire a natural vaginal birth, and you want to handle labor pain with medication-free methods, then a midwife may be right for you. Working with a midwife also allows you to choose where you want to deliver your child, whether that be in a birthing center or from the comfort of your bed. Many midwives even specialize in water births, ensuring that every mother feels relaxed and at peace before she welcomes her child into the world.

Lastly, a midwife will also provide personalized post-labor support that most OBGYN’s can’t offer. From exercise and nutrition advice to postpartum support and first-time parent counseling, she’ll be there to help guide you throughout the process.

Looking for a friendly and experienced midwife to help make your home birth a relaxing and memorable experience? Home Birth With Love in Suffern, NY, helps ease expectant mothers’ anxiety by experiencing the joys of childbirth from the comfort of their own homes. Led by owner Leah Marinelli, a Certified Nurse Midwife, their team offers compassionate and attentive care that mothers and their families appreciate. In addition to delivery, they work with expecting parents throughout and following pregnancy as well as offer annual well-woman exams and postpartum support. To learn more about scheduling a gentle home delivery with the midwives at Home Birth With Love, visit them online or call them directly at (845) 641-5058.