New Tool Helps Expectant Parents Choose Their Health Care Provider
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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – SILVER SPRING, MD – It’s a common scenario. A pregnant woman, who has carefully examined her options for birth – capturing all her wishes and preferences in a birth plan – realizes that her healthcare provider is not accustomed to providing the kind of care she wants. Her birth plan does not match her provider’s practice style..(Pictured:ACNM President Melissa Avery, PhD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN)
To help women avoid this frustrating situation, the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), with funding from the A.C.N.M. Foundation, Inc., has developed an interactive, online quiz, www.DeliverMyBaby.org, to help mothers-to-be take the first step toward choosing the best care provider that matches their needs.
A.C.N.M. Foundation Vice President Diana Jolles, CNM, MSN, explains, “There’s so much excitement when a woman is planning to become pregnant or realizes that she is pregnant. We wanted to create an opportunity for a woman to evaluate both her health status and her ideal conditions for birth so she can find a good match for her and her baby.”
DeliverMyBaby.org, asks women for general information about their health status, and helps them explore their preferences in maternity care. Each woman’s answers are then calculated to generate a recommended type of care provider to consider. Answers are not recorded and the quiz is anonymous, so women can explore their options in privacy.
Once women complete the quiz at www.DeliverMyBaby.org, they receive:
· a printable version of their match
· sample interview questions to ask potential care providers
· links to information and organizations that help women achieve healthy pregnancy and birth outcomes
“The care provider a woman chooses can have the biggest impact on her birth outcome,” said Jolles. “Obstetricians and midwives both provide vital care to pregnant women and babies, and it is important to understand that they are also different disciplines geared to provide different types of care.”
Many women are unaware that they can choose a certified nurse-midwife (CNM) or a certified midwife (CM). “We hope that every woman who is pregnant or thinking about becoming a mother takes the time to review her health care options,” said ACNM President Melissa Avery, PhD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN. “An important part of prenatal care is to look at personal health records, including family history, and choose a provider who can tailor health care that fits the mother-to-be her baby’s needs.”
For help in deciding on a women’s health care provider who can meet your individual needs and help you achieve your goals for safe and healthy birth, take the quiz! Visit www.DeliverMyBaby.org. For more information about ACNM, visit www.midwife.org.
About Certified Nurse-Midwives and Certified Midwives
Certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives care for women throughout the lifespan, from adolescence through menopause and beyond. They provide individualized, woman-centered care. In pregnancy, CNMs and CMs are highly trained to promote healthy pregnancy and birth, and to respond to complications in labor and delivery. Midwives are independent care providers who consult with physicians when appropriate to offer women the full spectrum of care.
About the American College of Nurse-Midwives
With roots dating to 1929, the American College of Nurse-Midwives is the oldest women’s health care association in the U.S. ACNM’s mission is to promote the health and well-being of women and newborns within their families and communities through the development and support of the profession of midwifery as practiced by certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives. Midwives believe every individual has the right to safe, satisfying health care with respect for human dignity and cultural variations. More information about ACNM can be found at www.midwife.org.
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