With something as personal and important as pregnancy, it's nice to have options. Some people prefer having an obstetrician gynecologist (OB/GYN) oversee their care. Others, like Cooley Dickinson Hospital patient Trang Nguyen, opt for midwifery services.
Certified nurse midwives are health care professionals who specialize in caring for people who have female bodies throughout the lifespan. In addition to providing routine obstetric and gynecological care, they counsel patients on birth control, test for sexually transmitted diseases, manage menopause treatment, and more.
"We try to talk to patients in a way that is personable and down to earth," said Sara Eggemeier, a certified nurse midwife at Cooley Dickinson OB/GYN & Midwifery. "Educating our patients, along with health promotion and prevention, are big parts of what we do. Some patients really find that appealing."
Ability to manage high-risk pregnancies
At their first prenatal appointment at Cooley Dickinson, around the 12-week mark, patients are given the choice of seeing certified nurse midwives or a physician for their prenatal and postpartum care. For Trang and her husband, Max Espinoza, the decision was easy.
"In meeting with a midwife during that visit, we felt we could ask questions and get answers in language we could understand," said Trang, who lives in Amherst, Massachusetts. "It seemed like a good fit."
Sara has worked at midwifery practices around the country. She noted that one feature that sets Cooley Dickinson OB/GYN & Midwifery apart is the collaborative team model. Among the benefits of this approach is that it allows the midwifery team to manage high-risk pregnancies. This comes as a surprise to some patients.
Baby Ben.
"Even though you may only see one midwife for your prenatal visits, the entire obstetrics team meets monthly to review the care of all high-risk patients," Sara said. "And if any complications arise during the pregnancy or childbirth, we can always bring in an OB/GYN to assist."
One-on-one vs. group prenatal care
After their first few visits with midwives, patients must make another decision. They can continue to have one-on-one visits with the midwifery team. Or they can enter group prenatal care.
Group prenatal care consists of seven biweekly sessions during the second half of pregnancy. Health education coordinator Grace Nowakoski co-leads the classes with one of the midwives. Each cohort typically consists of 8 to 12 expectant parents—all due within six weeks of one another—and co-parents.
Sara described the sessions as "casual, supportive, and communal." In the first hour, expectant parents see the midwife for exams behind a screen while the other participants socialize. The second hour is devoted to topics such as common aches and pains, nutrition, labor and delivery, and postpartum planning and support.
"We chose to go with group prenatal care because we thought it would be nice to meet other first-time parents," Trang said. "Grace was great at facilitating and getting the group to open up. The sessions also covered a good range of topics, including a lot of things we didn't know."
Sara, who co-led Trang's sessions, is a strong believer in the group model for prenatal care.
"It presents pregnancy as a normal part of life and acknowledges that pregnant people are experts in their own bodies and know what feels right to them," she said. "Plus, it's an amazing opportunity for expectant parents to meet other expectant parents and build lifelong friendships."
Ben today.
A reassuring presence during labor and delivery
Trang's pregnancy went smoothly. Sara happened to be on duty at Cooley Dickinson the day of the delivery, much to Trang and Max's delight.
"We got to know [our midwife] so well from group prenatal care, so we appreciated having her there for the birth. I feel happy every time I hear her voice—she's so positive and reassuring. She helped me cope with the pain during labor and gave me confidence I could make it through the delivery."
Trang gave birth to a healthy baby boy, whom she and Max named Ben. Before mother and baby were discharged, Trang met with Lisa Fitzgerald, a lactation consultant at Cooley Dickinson. A couple days later, Trang and Max returned to the hospital to see Lisa because Ben was struggling with feeding.
"I had called her on the phone crying, and she told us to come right in," Trang said. "She helped us figure out the breastfeeding and how to use a breast pump. She was great."
Reflecting on her experience with Cooley Dickinson, Trang wouldn't hesitate to recommend its group prenatal care program and midwifery services to other expectant parents.
"Group prenatal care is a huge plus. It was a lot of fun," she concluded. "And all of the midwives that we met were very friendly and positive, so they're probably the biggest selling point."
