Issue link: https://blog.providence.org/i/1444899
Health Matters: Providence St. Joseph Hospital | 11 T here is nothing like the joy of planning for a new baby, and Providence St. Joseph Hospital wants to ensure every woman has the birth she desires. To that end, Providence St. Joseph now offers midwifery services for low-risk women who are looking for collaborative prenatal care and a unique personal birthing experience. A midwife birth (the word midwife comes from Old English, meaning "with woman") is one in which the pregnant woman and the midwives work together. "We co-manage care," says Diane Upton, a midwife on the medical staff at Providence St. Joseph who had been a labor-and- delivery nurse at Providence St. Joseph for 25 years before she became a certified nurse-midwife. "When a woman makes a birth plan, we agree on two things: healthy mom and healthy baby." With a midwife, a woman may opt for different ways of delivering her child, including lying on her side instead of her back, having a water labor, and delivering on hands and knees, which Upton says can happen even with an epidural. MIDWIFERY IS A STATE OF MIND The enthusiasm of the midwives at St. Joseph is apparent. Upton says, "For me this is a dream come true. I love St. Joseph, it is my heart and—after all my years as a labor-and-delivery nurse— becoming a midwife and delivering babies myself here is all I have ever wanted." Victoria Aphailee, also a certified nurse-midwife, was the first midwife to gain privileges at Providence St. Joseph and is equally excited about the program. "Dr. Allan Akerman, whose practice I work with, was instrumental in bringing midwifery to St. Joseph. Midwifery isn't abundant in Orange County. I moved here after being a labor-and- delivery nurse for seven years, and then a midwife for seven years in Northern California." Aphailee's family has a long history with Providence St. Joseph. "My mother was a candy striper and then a nurse here. And my whole family was born at St. Joseph," she says. "I feel like I have been very welcome as the first midwife here. The atmosphere is very collegial. The women giving birth are the most important part of the medical team. The nurse-midwives, OBs and nurses all work together with the birthing mothers. "I really feel like midwifery care birth in the inpatient setting is the best of both worlds," Aphailee continues. "We offer evidence-based care and we collaborate with the doctors (should medical concerns arise)." A midwife delivery in a hospital can be a good option for low-risk women who may want a wide range of birthing and pain management options so you can have flexibility when the birth day arrives. And, if there is a need, CHOC Children's Hospital manages a Level II NICU at Providence St. Joseph. Says Aphailee, "If a baby needs higher-level care or the neonatal intensive care unit, that can happen very quickly." To find out more about the midwifery program, visit providence.org/sjobabies. The Midwives Are Here The community asked for a midwifery program and Providence St. Joseph Hospital responded.