It’s National Midwifery Week, so let’s show our Oklahoma midwives some love!

Every mama carefully makes a personal decision about who will oversee their prenatal care, and for many low risk women, working with a midwife is a great choice. Being a birth photographer, I have the privilege of working with amazing birth professionals on a regular basis. This is of course my biased opinion, but I truly believe Oklahoma has a truly exceptional community of midwives.

So for those that might be unfamiliar, how is midwifery care different than your standard pregnancy and birth care experience?

The midwifery model of care asserts that childbirth is a natural and normal process to be honored for low risk women. Mamas who choose midwifery can expect attentive, individualized and continuous care throughout the prenatal and postpartum period. In fact, it’s normal for a prenatal appointment with your midwife to last around an hour! And that’s not time spent in the waiting room, but one-on-one counseling with your midwife.

In your appointment, you and your midwife will chat about everything from previous pregnancy history to nutritional counseling. She will even check in with your emotional wellness as you navigate through your pregnancy. The midwifery model of care is woman-focused, and your midwife will listen to you and respect your choices while providing guidance and monitoring the pregnancy and birth process. It’s about empowering women and making them a participant in the birthing process, giving women a voice.

According to Scientific American, “Studies show that midwife-attended births are as safe as physician-attended ones, and they are associated with lower rates of C-sections and other interventions that can be costly, risky and disruptive to the labor process.” Recent studies have also shown a link between midwifery care and better outcomes for both mama and baby.

ALL births are beautiful and powerful in their own way, and I’m truly honored to attend all types of births with different care providers, but I can say I’m seriously lucky to work alongside of the most amazing midwives.

To those midwives who know all about which two names those new parents just cannot decide between, to the midwives who answer a worried mama’s text at 4 am to give her comfort, to the midwives that bring a special postpartum care package to the mama they know is struggling with nursing or hormones or whatever, to the midwives that practically become a part of every new family they serve…THANK YOU.

Thank you for showing up every day with a seemingly endless supply of care and love for the mamas that trust you. Thank you for your work of empowering and supporting women every day.

You are so appreciated! <3