With midwives, a home-style birth in the safety of a hospital

By Louie St.

III

Why choose a midwife?

For Sky Rogers, a certified nurse midwife at Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center, the answer is easy — you get the best of both worlds. It’s a decision that ensures a more personal relationship with your provider while also guaranteeing a safety net that, at SMDC, exists within the region’s only Level I Adult Trauma Center.

Essentia’s midwifery program combines “homelike maternity care while affording the additional physical safety of birthing in a hospital,” Rogers said.

“We seek to provide down-to-earth, patient-centered, kind and well-informed prenatal and birth care,” Rogers added.

Rogers, like so many of her colleagues, knows all about the misconceptions that surround her profession. Many people think midwives are a thing of the past; that they only attend home births; or they won’t allow the use of medication during delivery. Not true, Rogers said.

In fact, here are five things expectant mothers might be particularly interested to know:

• Certified nurse midwives are formally educated and highly trained. They are required to hold a master’s degree in nursing and pass a nationally recognized certification exam.

• Approximately 96% of midwife-assisted deliveries happen in a hospital, where obstetrician physicians are always nearby if complications arise.

• Midwifery services are on the rise. Though physicianattended births are still the majority, the demand for midwives has nearly doubled in the last two decades. In 2019, about 300,000 births were attended by midwives alone, accounting for nearly 7% of all births in the United States.

• Midwives do more than just assist with pregnancy and birth care. Beyond providing a more intimate and personalized birth experience, certified nurse midwives also are qualified to provide primary care services related to women’s health issues, such as gynecological exams, screenings, vaccinations, fertility counseling, family planning and menopausal care.

• Midwives can administer pain-relief medication during birth. While most midwives rely on natural comfort methods first, certified nurse midwives respect your right to choose medical intervention. They can prescribe pain medication and administer epidurals.

Of course, if the patient prefers a non-medicated delivery, there are various pain-coping mechanisms. At Essentia, those include aromatherapy; birthing balls; breathing strategies; heat and cold therapy; hydrotherapy in a whirlpool tub; massage; movement and positioning techniques; nitrous oxide; and relaxation tips such as guided imagery.

It is, as Rogers says, all about the patient and maximizing moms’ comfort level during what’s already a stressful event. Midwives take the time to develop relationships that allow them to advocate for their patients. They ask and answer questions, listen to concerns and share resources. Eventually, they come to learn their patients’ priorities and values, and use that knowledge to deliver the most effective holistic care possible.

It’s one reason that success rates with midwifery outstrip those of traditional births.

“Choosing a certified nurse midwife is a great option for women who desire a more personal relationship with their care provider,” Rogers said, “and for those who desire bedside support from their delivering provider during labor.”

Essentia’s safety net includes an obstetrician, anesthesiologist, physician and a neonatal intensive care unit team, among others. The hope is that none of those specialists are needed and the birth occurs as expected. But it is comforting to know that there’s a dedicated group of midwifery-friendly obstetricians, anesthesiologists and nurses ready to support patients should surgical or medical intervention become necessary.

For example, if a patient needs to birth via cesarean section, “we will stay by your side and one of our wonderful MD colleagues will provide you with this service,” Rogers said.

Essentia’s collaborative care model, which offers 24/7 midwifery support, revolves around the patient. One of the goals is to foster a “home-style birth.”

As Rogers said, “midwifery care itself makes people feel at home.” D

By Samantha Roffers

Hellodear readers! I hope you are all savoring this beautiful summer weather we are having! If you’re like me and love the heat I know you’re enjoying it! As we cruise along I can’t help but think about back to school and the eventual return of cooler weather. Now is the time when I love to stock up on summer clothes for the following year. Everyone slashes their prices to make room for back to school clothing and you can land some great deals. Thanks to

by Sam

online shopping and in store pickup, supporting local businesses from the comfort of your own home has never been easier! I headed to my chicken coop (it’s like my zen garden), cozied up in a comfy chair and got to shopping!

I will never forget how excited I was when Cloquet got a Maurices. Up until that point, anytime I needed to go shopping it entailed a well thought out and planned day trip to Duluth. Maurices is one of those stores that has everything! If you need a new interview outfit, jeans, a date night outfit, footwear, comfy clothes, accessories or even a gift they have you covered.

One of the best things about shopping at Maurices in my opinion is their website. It is hands down one of the easiest to navigate. They post all reviews, upload photos of real people wearing their clothes and have a free ship to store option! I went through their website and noticed they have taken steps to make shopping safer amidst the current pandemic. They have ramped up their cleaning and even give the option to come in for a personal styling session! In the past, the people working at Maurices have always been so great about checking their inventory when I call with a style number. I am definitely someone who likes to shop with a purpose. I love to find one item I love and build a couple outfits around it. It’s a great way to piece multiple outfits together without getting overwhelmed. Most of the time I have my kids in tow and I try my very best to get in and get out as painlessly as possible.

When I shop online I like to try and find stores who take photos of real customers or employees wearing an item, it’s a huge plus for me. Stay tuned for the next issue of The