Did you know that the US is one of the only countries where midwives aren’t the primary care providers for a majority of low-risk birthing mothers? Midwives support low risk mothers all over the world and have been shown to be a safer option for birth for many people.

Some recent research from 2019 shows that:

  • In low-risk pregnancies, midwifery care in labor was associated with decreased interventions (medications and procedures)
  • Decreased cesarean and operative vaginal births (vacuum and forceps)
  • Greater integration of midwifery care into maternity services in the United States may reduce intervention in labor and potentially even cesarean delivery, in low-risk pregnancies. 1

Many of our clients love their midwife experience in Des Moines! We often hear things like,

  • I loved that my midwife was with me longer in labor.
  • My midwife spent the entire time with me while I was pushing.
  • I was able to labor in various positions.
  • Pushing outside of the hospital bed was important to me and my midwife was supportive of my choices.
  • I felt like my midwife really followed my birth plan wishes.

Whatever the reason you are interested in using a midwife, we know you’ll find a great fit with any of the following midwives!

 

Hospital Based Midwives

Broadlawns Midwifery Services

Midwife Services of UnityPoint Health

MercyOne Des Moines Midwives

Home Birth Midwives

Woman Rising Midwifery

Des Moines Midwife Collective

Sarah Sorvillo: Free Spirit Midwife

Dana Ericson at Midwife and Doula Services

Healing Passages Birth & Wellness Center

Tips When Finding Your Midwife

Our biggest tip is to interview multiple midwifery practices! Many expecting mothers will choose a provider based on location, referral from a friend, or birth location preferences. While all of these are valid reasons, we would encourage you to think about YOUR birth goals and find YOUR midwife based on your hopes for your baby’s birth.

Need some questions to get started? We love this list of questions from CIMS!

 

Midwives in Des Moines and Central Iowa by The Iowa Baby Ladies

a Souter V, Nethery E, Kopas ML, Wurz H, Sitcov K, Caughey AB. Comparison of Midwifery and Obstetric Care in Low-Risk Hospital Births. Obstet Gynecol. 2019 Nov;134(5):1056-1065. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000003521. PMID: 31599830.