30 Years of Midwifery Care at Newton-Wellesley Hospital!

Thirteen weeks ago, Elizabeth Barradas of Natick gave birth to her second child, a healthy baby girl named Julia. And she attributes her positive childbirth experience to her midwife, who Barradas says, gave her the confidence she needed.

“I made a decision to have a midwife deliver our second child about halfway through my pregnancy,” said Barradas. “After meeting a few of the midwives, I immediately knew it was a good fit for me. They were so warm and caring and made me feel so comfortable, but also possessed the expertise and professionalism I was seeking.”

2011 recognizes a local milestone- 30 years of midwifery care at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. And joining in on that celebration are Boston-area moms – many, like Barradas, who have chosen Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates’ certified nurse-midwives affiliated with Newton-Wellesley Hospital to deliver their most precious cargo -- their babies.  In 2010, there were 650 midwife-assisted births at Newton-Wellesley. Over the past 30 years at NWH, certified nurse midwives have assisted with an estimated 15,000 babies.

“It’s an exciting time for our profession,” said Michele Helgeson, CNM, MPH, who has been in practice since 1985. “The perception of midwifery has changed a lot over the past few decades, with more women nowadays opting to be cared for by a certified nurse midwife.”  

Helgeson is 1 of 19 midwives who delivers babies at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Her practice, in collaborative model working with Harvard Vanguard’s obstetrician/gynecologists, provides care for all women including:  prenatal care, labor and delivery management, care after birth, initial newborn assessment, gynecological exams including breast examinations and pap smears, assistance with family planning decisions, preconception care, and menopausal management. Harvard Vanguard is a multi-specialty medical group with 21 offices around the greater Boston area.

Last April, UMass Boston’s Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy released the first comprehensive study of midwives. According to the report, in Massachusetts, the number of nurse-midwife-attended vaginal births nearly tripled between 1990 and 2008 (from 7.9% to 21.6%).

Today, the age-old practice of midwifery represents the highest quality of professionalism. Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM) are registered nurses with postgraduate education and specialized training, who have become highly skilled licensed health care providers rendering obstetrical and gynecological care to women of all ages. Midwives work in collaboration with a physician who is always available for consultation or referral. Practicing in a variety of settings, the majority of the nations’ midwives deliver babies in hospitals with only 1% of births occurring at home.

“Midwifery care is appealing because nurse-midwives provide woman centered care tailored to meet each patient’s individual needs,” said Helgeson. “The hallmark of their care is: time for you…time to listen and answer questions, time to stay with you throughout labor and birth and time to help you and your new baby get off to the best possible start.”

According to the American College of Nurse Midwives, nurse-midwifery care is based on the philosophy that health care should be safe and satisfying. They are committed to promoting self-determination and enhancing the normal process of pregnancy and birth through education and supportive intervention.

While CNMs are qualified to administer drugs, perform medical procedures and provide their clients with other technological interventions, they rely on technology only when it is medically necessary. As a result, women who are under the care of a CNM are less likely to have a cesarean section or an episiotomy and are more likely to experience a vaginal birth after a previous cesarean section.

Midwives are best known for their support of the natural process of childbirth, but what many do not realize is that they also provide women with the option of pain medication or epidural anesthesia in labor.

“We believe in providing each woman with choices that will allow her the freedom to experience pregnancy and birth in a safe and enjoyable manner,” added Helgeson.

Newton-Wellesley Hospital is a full system member of Partners HealthCare System, Inc. (PHCS), a nonprofit organization that includes acute care hospitals Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's/Faulkner Hospitals, The North Shore Medical Center, and specialty hospitals McLean Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, as well as Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare, and the community-based doctors and hospitals of Partners Community HealthCare, Inc.

Newton-Wellesley Hospital provides a wide range of services, including medical, surgical, obstetrical, orthopaedic, neonatal, pediatric, emergency and psychiatric care. Newton-Wellesley has been serving its community for over a century. The medical staff of the Hospital includes nearly 1,000 physicians practicing a full range of specialties. NWH is a major teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine and also has established post-graduate training programs for Harvard Medical School residents.

For more information about Newton-Wellesley Hospital, its physicians, programs and services, contact CareFinder at 617/243-6566 or log onto www.nwh.org. For more information about Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates midwifery program at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, call Harvard Vanguard’s Wellesley office at 781.431.5429 or visit www.harvardvanguard.org.