The Center for Midwifery
At one of the most remarkable times of her life, a pregnant woman wants to
have some control in how to make her childbirth experience special.
Certified nurse midwives at the University of Colorado Hospital’s new
Center for Midwifery couldn’t agree more.
The Center for Midwifery, which opened last fall, is a private practice with
two certified nurse midwives (CNM), whose range of practice includes pregnancy
care and delivery, family planning, well-woman exams, gynecological care
and through the menopausal transition. (The menopausal transition can last
for about seven years after the final period.)
“It is important for women to know they do have birth choices,” says
Erica Schwartz, MSN, CNM, service director of the center. “A midwifery
birth is so much different because it does not feel like a medical process.
It feels like a natural process of life. Women want to be part of the birthing
process; they want options; they do not want to be treated like they are
ill.”
Certified nurse midwives are registered nurses who have graduated from an
advanced program accredited by the American College of Nurse Midwives, and
have passed a national certification exam. For centuries, women have sought
advice and assistance from midwives. Certified nurse midwives continue this
time-honored tradition as skilled health professionals, utilizing modern
medical knowledge and technology.
CNMs work with their patients to educate, encourage and empower the women
to make choices that enhance their pregnancy and childbirth experiences.
In a return to a traditional, less-invasive way of giving birth, the midwives
allow the labor to develop without intervention, unless it’s called
for. That does not mean however, that a laboring woman can’t receive
pain medication when she uses a midwife.
The Midwifery Center’s two full-time midwives, Anne Mariella, PhD,
MPH, CNM, and Jessica Sumwalt, MSN, CNM, stress that the relationship with
their patients is a partnership in care. They strive to be a one-stop resource
for a woman’s reproductive needs throughout the many changes in her
life. First and foremost they take the time to listen to the women, and then
practitioner and patient together develop an individual health plan.
Dr. Mariella, assistant professor, is also a certified menopause practitioner.
Prior to joining the Center for Midwifery, she taught at Pacific Lutheran
University in Tacoma, Wash., and has conducted extensive research on menopausal
transition for more than 15 years.
“You bring the expertise of your health and your life to the partnership
and I bring the professional expertise,” said Dr. Mariella. “I respect
you enough to listen to your story and then we negotiate together to come
up with a plan for what’s best for you.
“Our philosophy is one of a holistic, family-centered, natural process
of birth. We’re willing to support a completely patient-centered birth,
because we believe every woman has the right to a safe and satisfying childbearing
experience,” she said.
The Center for Midwifery’s deliveries take place in the new 10-bed
birth center in the Anschutz Inpatient Pavilion at Fitzsimons. The private
rooms feature soothing colors with flat screen televisions, DVD/VCR player
and sofa sleepers for partners.
In a midwifery delivery, women may change positions to get comfortable: They
might use squatting bars, position themselves on their hands and knees, or
labor in the whirlpool bath. Partners are encouraged to be involved.
The center specializes in water births, which is the only practice in the
Denver area that provides this service. The new circular, free-standing spa
tub is cushioned and roomy enough for two people.
Water has a calming effect and research shows it will actually decrease pain.
Women may labor and deliver in the tub, or get out of the tub to deliver
their baby. They have options in how they want to choreograph the birth day.
Jessica Sumwalt came to Colorado from Milwaukee, Wis., where she had been
a practicing midwife in a private practice. Dismayed at what she views as
aggressive care for low-risk, healthy pregnancies, she wholeheartedly embraces
the midwifery concept.
“I felt like sometimes women were being cheated out of their desired birth
experience,” said Sumwalt. “We’re not physicians and we
have a different philosophy. A certified nurse midwife is a combination of
midwifery and technology – we’re the best of both worlds.”
The Center for Midwifery is currently accepting new patients. To learn more
about midwifery, call 720-848-1700.
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