Annotated Bibliography

Schlegel, L. (2017, July 27). This New Recommendation Is Transforming What We Can Expect

During Childbirth. Retrieved From Verily website: https://verilymag.com/2017/07/midwife-vs-doctor-

natural-birth-home-birth-delivery

Lindsay Schlegel is a writer, editor, and speaker. She writes about women's issues. Her works

have been published in many magazines and blogs. Verily is a magazine and a blog that publishes

stories about things that are important to women. They have a no Photoshop policy and try to avoid

publishing stories under pen names. The article discusses the differences between doctors and

midwives. Doctors go to college for years and then go through specialty training to specialize in a

field, for example, obstetrics-gynecology. Certified Nurse-Midwives have master's degrees and board

certifications. Midwifery care is on average 90% cheaper than hospital birth.

While doctors and hospitals are equipped to handle most situations they are considered cold

and impersonal. The hospital's clinical approach makes a lot of women uncomfortable. In comparison

a midwife's office is comfortable, most of the time resembling a bedroom. There are often many

doctors and nurses who work together in one office. That means that the woman may not have even

met the doctor who is on duty when she goes into labor. While choosing a midwife means that you

have the same caregiver throughout your pregnancy and birth. This article sites the American College

of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists stated,

“Many common obstetric practices are of limited or uncertain benefit for low-risk women in

spontaneous labor.” Low risk can mean different things, but mostly it means that based on tests and

clinical observations the caregivers do not expect anything bad to happen. The American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists is suggesting that doctors and hospitals relax their regulations for

birth, as long as the woman is low-risk. Everyone wants a healthy baby, and it is up to the mother and

her health care providers to choose the best route for each birth.

Harms, R. W., Johnson, R. V., & Murry, M. M. (2004). Choosing your health care provider for

pregnancy. In MAYO CLINIC GUIDE TO A HEALTHY PREGNANCY (first, pp. 283–285). New

York, NY: HarperResource.

The editor and chief, Roger Harms, has received an “Excellence in Teaching” award from the

Association of professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics. He has helped countless women give birth

and is a leader in parent education through the Mayo Clinic. Out of the whole book about pregnancy

and birth 2 pages are dedicated to the difference between the different types of midwives with a small

introductory paragraph about midwives in general. According to the book, midwives are the “

traditional care-givers” for pregnant women. The use of midwives in the United States is becoming

popular again. There are approximately 5 different types of recognized midwives. The first type that

was discussed was a Certified nurse-midwife. Certified nurse-midwives have nursing degrees and are

licensed and legal in all 50 states. They go through rigorous training and have to pass many exams

given by the American College of Nurse-Midwives. The second type of midwife is the Direct-entry

midwife. Direct-entry midwives do not have to have a nursing degree or any formal education. They

are not legal in all 50 states. Certified midwives are only licensed in the state of New York. They go

through the same certification process as certified nurse-midwives and are certified through the

American College of Nurse-Midwives. Certified professional midwives are similar to certified

midwives, except they are certified through the North American Registry of Midwives. Lastly, there
are lay midwives. Lay midwives have no formal training. Most lay midwives obtain their training from

experience and from apprenticing.

Midwives can work in hospitals, birthing centers, or at the woman's home. If a pregnant

woman is considering a midwife there are a few questions that are important to ask the midwife. The

midwife must have the appropriate certifications and licenses for the state they live in. They have to

have a backup plan and a doctor that they work with in case something goes wrong. They also have to

have a criteria to determine if the woman is low-risk or not. In conclusion, a woman may choose a

midwife if she is low-risk, wants fewer interventions, and a more personal approach to pregnancy and

birth.

Bryant, A. S., & Borders, A. E. (2019). Approaches to Limit Intervention During Labor and Birth.

ACOG COMMITTEE OPINION, 766(2), e164–e173. Retrieved from

https://www.acog.org/-/media/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/co766.pdf?

dmc=1&ts=20190918T2212301417

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists is a group of people who specialize in

obstetrics and gynecology. The authors are responsible for providing up to date and accurate

information about birth and pregnancy. In this entry, they talk about the new recommendations for

low-risk pregnancy and birth. It is the committee’s opinion that women who have low-risk pregnancies

have more freedom during pregnancy and birth. The entry states “For a woman who is at term in

spontaneous labor with a fetus in vertex presentation, labor-management may be individualized.” This

means that as long as the low-risk woman is at term, and the baby is in the correct presentation then

the woman should have a say in how she gives birth. Women may be admitted to the hospital later in
the labor then previously recommended if they are low-risk. If a woman is admitted to a hospital

because she is too tired to give birth then noninvasive techniques should be used if possible.

Noninvasive techniques include oral hydration, emotional support, water immersion, and massage.

Amniotomy, which is the intentional rupture of the membranes, is not recommended for low-risk

births.

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists recommend training hospital staff in

the use of a stethoscope instead of sticking a screw in the head of the baby to monitor heart rate. They

also recommend that the woman in labor change positions frequently instead of strapping her to a bed

on her back. Changing positions can help labor progress and promote optimal fetal positioning.

Studies have found that telling a woman to wait to push may increase the risk of infection,

uncontrollable bleeding in the mother and high acid levels in the infant's blood. In conclusion, the

American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists suggest that the hospitals integrate less invasive

and more family-centric elements to their labor and delivery units.

Gaskin, I. M. (2003). Ina May's Guide To Childbirth. New York, NY: Bantam Dell.

Ina May Gaskin, the nation’s leading midwife, used her many years of experience to create a

book to teach women about giving birth. The first part of the book is filled with personal stories of

birth. Part two is about giving birth. It explains how birth works as well as how to avoid unwanted

interventions. The first chapter after the birth stories is the mind-body connection. Ina May explains

that a mother's brain has a lot of power over her body and her fears can affect her birth. The next

chapter is about the birth itself. The changes that happen during birth include the cervix opening, the

uterine contractions that push the baby through the cervix and vaginal canal, and finally the delivery.
The third chapter goes on to explain the connection between pain and pleasure. It also suggests that an

orgasmic birth may be possible for some women. Ina May has been present for over 2,500 births so

she would know what is possible. The fourth chapter is about the sphincter law. The sphincter law is

the position, the place of birth and the provider. The sphincter is like an involuntary muscle and is

affected by emotions. If the woman is afraid her sphincter (cervix) is going to be closed. Like pooping,

if it's hard for someone to poop with an audience then it would be extra hard to give birth with one,

similar to a hospital setting with all the doctors and nurses.

The next chapter explains the importance of quality prenatal care. This chapter gives some tips

to see complications before they become major. The 6th chapter is titled Going Into Labor. It talks

about false starts or prodromal labor and induction. This chapter compares midwifery care during

labor to the type of care a woman can expect in a hospital. Next is the role of gravity and movement

during birth. It’s easier to give birth to a gigantic headed baby if you can use gravity and wiggle it out

of you. This chapter also talks about epidurals and different kinds of support the woman in labor can

choose from. There are about 4 more chapters in the book. They talk about episiotomies and compare

midwifery to medical care. In conclusion, this book is 300 pages of tightly packed information, and

every fact Ina May presents is backed up by a citation at the end of each chapter.

Douglas, A. (2002). Winning at Baby Roulette. In the mother of all pregnancy books (pp. 151–162).

New York, NY: Wiley Publishing inc.

Ann Douglas has written 18 birth and pregnancy books that have been referenced in magazines

and journals. In this book, Ann discusses doctor vs. midwife care. There are two main types of doctors
that deliver babies. A family physician has years of specialized training that includes obstetrics. An

obstetrician or OBGYN specializes in obstetrics. There are a few different types of midwives. A

certified nurse-midwife is a registered nurse who has special training and certification from the

American College of Nurse-Midwives. Certified nurse-midwives are the only midwives who can

legally practice in all 50 states. Certified midwives are midwives who have specialized training in

something other than midwifery but have a certification from the American College of Nurse-

Midwives. Independent midwives can be direct-entry midwives or lay midwives. Independent

midwives have no formal training but have apprenticed with a midwife. The last type of midwife is the

certified professional midwife. Certified professional midwives are independent midwives who meet

the standards of the North American Registry of Midwives.

No matter what option is chosen some questions are important to ask a potential caregiver. Is

the potential caregiver capable of providing the types of care and services the woman requires and

wants? What is the caregiver's history; how long have they been doing this, and how many of the

women they have cared for end up with a cesarean section? Are there other caregivers in the office,

what will be their role in the birth? Will that caregiver be able to attend the birth? What options does

the woman have in the birthplace is it possible to birth at home or in a birth center or hospital? What

freedoms will the woman in labor have? What do appointments look like and how often are they. Is it

possible to schedule extra appointments if necessary? What do most births look like in your practice?

Are unmedicated births encouraged? Ann presents many other questions that are important to ask a

potential caregiver.

According to Ann, approximately 1% of the babies in the United States are born at home. The

American College of obstetricians and gynecologists do not support home birth. Ann argues that if the

woman is low-risk and is prepared then the risk can be mitigated and a safe home birth can be
performed. According to Ann "Studies have shown that women and babies are better off being cared

for by the same caregiver ... ". That means that a woman must be careful when choosing a doctor or

midwife. They should choose a care provider that can be with them throughout the pregnancy and

birth. Doctors normally provide all the supplies for a hospital birth. Midwives, on the other hand, may

want you to supply some of the birthing supplies.

Jones, R. (2019, January). GIVING LIFE CAN STILL BE DEADLY. National Geographic, 122–143.

Rachel Jones has been writing about health and development problems for 10 years. The

United States is one of the only developed countries where the mortality rate during birth has not

gotten better since 1990. This article starts with a story about Kira Johnson. Kira was pregnant with

her second child. She had a scheduled c-section, that seemed to go fine. After the birth at about 4 pm,

her husband noticed blood in her catheter. After trying for hours to get the doctor's and nurse's

attention, and Kira getting worse and worse, he finally got an answer. After asking a hospital staff

person what was being done to help his wife he was told: “ Sir, your wife’s just not a priority right

now.” Ten hours after the c-section Kira spoke her last words to her husband “ Baby, I’m

scared.”They had gone into this full of confidence. They chose the best of the best, but it wasn’t good

enough. A complaint was filed, and the attending physician was found to be grossly negligent.

The mortality rate for the US is 14 out of 100,000. Since 1990 the death rate in the United

States has gotten worse. The reason for most of the pregnancy-related deaths comes down to

communication issues. Either between hospital staff or between the staff and the patient. Rachel states

that even in countries like Africa the mortality rate has decreased thanks to midwives and
improvements in patient care pre and postnatal. In the United States, ethnic minorities are 3 times

more likely to die.

The next story Rachel follows is that of Adan Ismail from Hargeisa, Africa. Adan is now 81,

but she created the Edna Adan University and is the on-site administrator. Adan believes that most

deaths occur from poverty and ignorance. Adan has helped train 938 new midwives in her country as

an attempt to negate the mortality rate in her country. The article follows two more women, one of

them died after a c-section. Statistics are not enough, people have to see that the women that are dying

are people too. They are mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters and they matter.