Asante Physician Partners’ certified nurse-midwives provide office-based primary care services to patients and work collaboratively with obstetricians, doulas and other childbirth experts at Asante Ashland Community Hospital. The hospital’s family birth center was the first in Oregon to focus on low-intervention and alternative birthing options.
Pregnancy and childbirth are natural life events that often need no medical intervention. For women with typical pregnancies, nurse-midwives can be trusted partners during your pregnancy and delivery and after your baby is born.
Asante’s nurse-midwives provide:
- Well-woman care, including annual physical exams.
- Diet, exercise and nutrition advice.
- Routine gynecologic care, such as pelvic and breast exams.
- Family planning, contraception and reproductive health care.
- Help with developing a personalized birth plan.
- Prenatal and postnatal care.
- Low-intervention labor and delivery, including water birth.
- Lactation, breastfeeding and infant-bonding support.
What is a certified nurse-midwife?
Midwives are specially trained in personalized maternity care. There are various levels of midwife training and certification. The most advanced level is a certified nurse-midwife, or CNM. Our CNMs are board-certified nurse practitioners who provide comprehensive women’s health care.
They are independent providers who can evaluate, diagnose and treat clients — including prescribing medication — without a doctor’s supervision. Our certified nurse-midwives collaborate with local physicians should a patient require consultation or transfer of care.
What’s the difference between a midwife and a doctor?
A medical doctor is specially skilled in managing complications using a variety of medical and surgical interventions.
Certified-nurse midwives provide “high-touch, low-tech” care for women with low-risk pregnancies who are unlikely to need any medical intervention. CNMs are skilled in natural childbirth, massage, water laboring and other techniques to manage pain with or without medication.
What if something goes wrong during my pregnancy?
Should a complication arise during your pregnancy, Asante has a network of experts to care for you, including a maternal fetal medicine clinic that specializes in high-risk pregnancies. Should a problem develop during your labor, Asante’s nurse-midwives work closely with a physician to provide medical intervention in the hospital.
If my last child was delivered by C-section, can I have the next one vaginally with the help of a midwife?
Asante’s certified nurse-midwives do not provide vaginal deliveries after C-section; however, the option is available through physicians affiliated with Asante Ashland Community Hospital.
Are midwives appropriate for all pregnancies?
Nurse-midwife services are not appropriate for everyone. Women at risk for complications may be referred to a physician who has specialized training. Potential health or pregnancy risks include:
- High blood pressure.
- Previous deliveries by C-section.
- Previous complications during pregnancy.
- Diabetes.
- Other health issues or medical problems.
You will be asked about these risks when making your first appointment. Please provide a candid and detailed medical history so we can direct you to the provider that best suits your and your baby’s needs.
