|
 |
 
SHOULD WOMEN HAVE ALTERNATIVES?
In the U.S., only a small minority of women (seven percent) receive midwifery care in the hospital. Out-of-hospital care is even less available, with fewer than one percent of women planning their birth in non-hospital birth centers or homes. American midwives who work in these settings face a host of obstacles including legal restrictions, opposition from the medical community, lack of insurance reimbursement and limited public information about safety.
Yet research shows that midwifery care costs less than physician care, results in fewer interventions and has as good outcomes for low-risk women. In most industrialized countries, midwifery is the standard care for low-risk pregnant women. Midwives collaborate with physicians when serious medical conditions arise. So why is midwifery care not available to most women in the United States?
Midwifery is not for everyone, but neither is the high-tech medical approach. No matter what our individual choices, each of us can benefit by improving the systems that affect American maternity care.
|
|
Home | Childbirth | Birth Stories | Glossary | The Film | Talkback | Resources | ITVS
|
