Midwife vs OB-GYN: What You Should Know

In 2020, over 3.6 million babies were born in the United States.

If you are a parent that is expecting to have a baby soon, first of all, congratulations! Second, you’re probably wondering whether a midwife vs OB-GYN is best for you.

In this article, we’ll examine the differences between the two and provide pros and cons to choosing either.

What’s a Midwife?

The midwife definition is someone who is a trained health professional capable of helping healthy women with labor, delivery, and care after the birth of the baby. Midwives aren’t medical doctors, but they do tend to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

Midwives fall into two different main categories: certified nurse midwife (CNMs) and direct-entry midwife (DEMs). A certified nurse midwife has the certifications of a nurse. A direct-entry midwife enters midwifery without first becoming a nurse.

What’s an OB-GYN?

An OB-GYN is a doctor. They specialize in pregnancy and female reproductive health. In short, they are a practitioner of both obstetrics and gynecology.

OB-GYNs have the training and know-how to help with high-risk pregnancies and are also able to perform surgeries. To become an OB-GYN, a person must complete four years of medical school, four years of a residency program, and then three years of fellowship.

Midwife vs OB-GYN

Both the midwife and the OB-GYN share several similarities but do have a few key differences. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons you can expect with both.

Birthing at Home

If you’re wanting to give birth in the comfort of your own home, then a midwife will be able to accommodate that. Maybe you even want to do a water birth! Either way, a midwife specializes in a “low tech, high touch” approach. If you want an OB-GYN, you will have to give birth inside a hospital.

The Risk of Complications

Should the worst occur and you experience a complicated pregnancy, an OB-GYN has the tools and experience to do a high-risk delivery. Midwives, however, are only really adept at low-risk pregnancies.

If something happens, an OB-GYN can help induce labor and offer pain management options. If things get too dangerous, an OB-GYN can also perform a C-section if needed. Midwives lack surgical training for such a complex process.

Pain Management

Are you interested in having as natural a birth as possible and forgo any pain medication? Or are you going to want an epidural to help dull the pain?

Midwives most often specialize in assisting with natural births free of any pain medications. Also, if you choose to give birth at home, your options for pain management will be greatly limited.

Choose What’s Right for You

When looking at midwife vs OB-GYN, it comes down to choosing which is the best option for your personal circumstances. No single choice is fundamentally better than the other. It all comes down to your preferences and the condition of your health.

We hope you found this article informative and that it helped you in making an informed decision. Before you go, be sure to browse our site for other great posts!