Women, Birth Practitioners, and Models of Pregnancy and Birth—Does Consensus Exist?

Abstract

Women have differing beliefs about pregnancy and birth, and will be more suited to one type of practitioner versus another, depending on whether they believe that birth is a natural or a medical event. I hypothesize that if women and their practitioners have similar explanatory models, then the women may experience a better relationship with their practitioners, resulting in greater understanding of birth expectations, leading to improvements in experience and outcomes. In this article I explore how differing beliefs constitute identifiable models that can be distinguished as aligning with the midwifery model versus the medical model of birth.

Women's birth beliefs and associated factors in an obstetrics clinic in the Southeastern Anatolian Region of Turkey

“…Birthing preferences of women are important in order to ensure high-quality delivery and for the prevention of postpartum complications [3,5,6]. It is thought that understanding the birth beliefs of women to help them have a healthy pregnancy experience will contribute to perceiving the childbirth process as a positive experience.…”

“…In addition to cultural influences, women may also have an opinion regarding childbirth without having had a birthing experience [2]. These basic beliefs are classified as beliefs about birth as a natural process and birth as a medical process in studies [3][4][5][6].…”

The role of pandemic‐related pregnancy stress in preference for community birth during the beginning of the COVID‐19 pandemic in the United States

“…Basic beliefs about birth have emerged in the last few years as pivotal contributors to women's birth choices 12 . These beliefs are closely related to conceptualizations of midwifery/holistic/social birth models and obstetric/medical/technocratic birth models 13‐15 and operationalize the extent to which women view birth as a natural and safe process and as a medical and risky one 16 . Birth beliefs are predictive of type and place of birth preference, emergency birth modes (ie, unplanned cesarean, assisted vaginal birth), and birth satisfaction 17‐19 .…”

The Scope of Midwifery Practice Regulations and the Availability of the Certified Nurse‐Midwifery and Certified Midwifery Workforce, 2012‐2016

“…9 CNMs are legally able to provide maternity care in all 50 states, and CMs are licensed to practice in 5 states; however, states have distinct regulatory and reimbursement requirements for midwives that may limit a woman's access to maternity and reproductive health services from midwives. 7,10 These regulations can support a framework that allows autonomous midwifery practice or have midwives "subject to supervision or collaborative agreement." 11 In states with a regulatory framework that allows autonomous midwifery practice, midwives are not required to be supervised by a physician or to have written collaborative practice agreements.…”

“…These could include, depending on the jurisdiction, a State Board of Nursing, State Department of Public Health, State Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Board of Medical Examiners, State Department of Health, State Board of Medicine, or Department of Commerce‐Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing . CNMs are legally able to provide maternity care in all 50 states, and CMs are licensed to practice in 5 states; however, states have distinct regulatory and reimbursement requirements for midwives that may limit a woman's access to maternity and reproductive health services from midwives . These regulations can support a framework that allows autonomous midwifery practice or have midwives “subject to supervision or collaborative agreement.” In states with a regulatory framework that allows autonomous midwifery practice, midwives are not required to be supervised by a physician or to have written collaborative practice agreements .…”