Making every birth a celebration Introducing St. Luke’s newest midwife

BY B. SCOT HART, CNM –MIDWIFE

Having a baby should be a celebration. Whether things go strictly according to a family’s birth plan, or there need to be adjustments and revisions along the way, as a midwife, my goal is to make certain that sense of celebration is never lost.

It’s the reason I became a midwife, and it’s the reason I joined St. Luke’s. Because they understand, as I do, that there’s nothing more special than being a part of bringing a new life into the world.

The Path To Passion

I discovered this belief — and this professional passion — a little later in life. I started out in the Peace Corps post-high school, working as a business volunteer in Morocco. I worked with Moroccan women who were trying to provide for their families by sewing rugs, and with school teachers to improve business educational programs. My efforts were focused on training and education, but I’m certain they taught me more about life and compassion than I taught them about business.

After my time in the Peace Corps, I joined the Army. My father was a naval doctor before transitioning out of the service and into pediatrics, and from him I learned not just a love of medicine, but a love of service as well. I served two tours in Iraq and was proud to facilitate medical missions for people in that country who didn’t have access to medical care.

After leaving the Army, I went looking for my life’s next natural step. And, once I focused on my passion for service, and took a close look at the way in which I was raised, my profession became clear — medicine and midwifery.

Joining The Family Business

The transition to medicine was as natural for me as it was for my father. Perhaps even more so, as my mother was also a nurse practitioner before earning her Ph.D. to train the next generation of nurses. Medicine is, quite frankly, the family business, so I attended the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, which completed my transition from Army soldier to caregiver.

At school, I developed my care philosophy. The program at Penn helped me discover ways to put the focus on the patient, and work with them to achieve their desires and goals. After graduating, I went looking for a health care system that shared my philosophy.

With a passion for compassionate care that’s patient-centered, St. Luke’s was the natural fit for me. Here, in collaboration with St. Luke’s midwife Amanda St. Aubin, we strive for the most family-centered care possible. That means our focus as midwives is not just on the care of the woman having the baby, but on the partner, and the woman’s other children as well.

The Role Of Midwife

Midwives provide holistic nursing for the mother and the entire family. That means we treat the whole patient, and provide care for the entire experience. We can prescribe medication, serve as your principal OB, and be by your side for every moment of delivery.

As a midwife, my goal is to do everything I possibly can to customize your childbirth experience to your family. Whether that means walking you through conception, health literacy or getting you exactly what you need middelivery, I’ll be there.

Most importantly, I’ll remember throughout every step of the process that bringing a new life into the world is always cause for celebration. — MDT

B. Scot Hart is a Certified Nurse Midwife for St. Luke’s. He wrote this for Moms & Dads Today. To schedule an appointment with Scot or another midwife at St. Luke’s Obstetrics & Gynecology associates, call (218) 249-4700.