Midwifery Model of Care
The Midwifery Model of Care is a way of looking a prenatal care, birth, and postpartum care with a deep respect for the normalcy of birth and for the unique needs of each childbearing woman—in short, attitudes that encourage healthy births.
Definition:
The Midwifery Model of Care is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life events.The Midwifery Model of Care includes:
• monitoring the physical, psychological, and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle;
• providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support; • minimizing technological interventions;
• identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention.
The application of this model has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section.
Definition copyright © May 1996, Midwifery Task Force All Rights Reservedclick here to go the Citizens for Midwifery web site and more information about the Midwifery Model of Care (or to order brochures which describe it more completely)
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