>>> WELCOME BACK.
YOU KNOW, WHEN PREGNANT ONE OF
THE FIRST THINGS A WOMAN HAS TO
DECIDE IS WHAT BIRTHING PLAN IS
RIGHT FOR HER.
AND DELIVERING WITH A MIDWIFE IS
BECOMING MORE AND MORE POPULAR.
SO HERE TO EXPLAIN HOW IT WORKS,
WELCOME CERTIFIED NURSE MIDWIFE,
TT, FROM TEXAS CHILDREN'S
HOSPITAL.
AND ALSO JOINING US IS
"HOUSTON LIFE" REPORTER DEE
BROWN WHO DELIVERED WITH A
MIDWIFE.
FIRST OF ALL, WHAT DOES A
MIDWIFE DO?
>> A MIDWIFE SUPPORTS WOMEN, NOT
JUST THROUGH LABOR BUT ALSO
THROUGH PREGNANCY.
SHE'S THERE AS THE GUIDE, AS A
SUPPORT PERSON, TO HELP HER
NAVIGATE PREGNANCY AND HAVE A
NATURAL DELIVERY.
>> JUST TO BE THERE, TO BE THAT
SPEEDER SYSTEM, TO -- SUPPORT
SYSTEM TO, ANSWER THOSE
QUESTIONS THAT YOU'RE GOING
THROUGH.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> I KNOW A TON, I'M SURE, A TON
ESPECIALLY FOR FOR THE FIRST CHILD A
TON OF QUESTIONS.
>> YES, WOMEN HAVE LOTS OF
QUESTIONS, LOTS OF FEARS, LOTS
OF ANXIETIES.
AND THE MIDWIFE IS THERE TO HELP
WITH THOSE.
>> NOW, I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS
ARE CONSIDERING DOING MIDWIFE.
WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF HAVING A
MIDWIFE DURING PREGNANCY BUT
DOING IN A HOSPITAL SETTING?
>> -- MIDWIFES IN A HOSPITAL
ARE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF WOMEN
THAT ARE NOT YOUR -- TYPICAL
LOW-RISK PATIENT.
WE TYPICALLY TAKE CARE OF
LOW-RISK PATIENTS BUT WHEN WE'RE
IN THE HOSPITAL, WE CAN TAKE
CARE OF WOMEN WHO ARE A LITTLE
HIGHER RISK.
THAT MIGHT NEED THE SUPPORT OF
OUR PHYSICIANS AS BACKUPS.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR
EXPERIENCE BECAUSE --
>> OH, YEAH.
>> WE ALMOST LOST YOU.
>> WELL, INITIALLY, I PLANNED TO
BIRTH AT A BIRTHING FACILITY.
AND MY HUSBAND WAS LIKE, DEE, I
DON'T HAVE A GOOD FEELING.
LET'S GO THE HO.
SO -- HOSPITAL.
I HOPPED OVER HERE TO CHILDREN'S
HOSPITAL.
I HAD PREECLAMP SEE YA.
SHE SAID YOU'RE IN LABOR.
MY BLOOD PRESSURE SHOT UP.
BUT THANK GOODNESS, THANK GOD,
WE HAD A HEALTHY BABY BOY.
HE WAS TOTALLY FINE.
I ALMOST HAD A STROKE.
IT ALMOST HAPPENED.
BUT THE DIVISION, THE WOMEN WERE
SO HANDS ON.
THEY WERE SO COMFORTING.
THEY HAVE AN OB/GYN BACKING
THEM.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU BET THE
BEST OF BOTH WORLD.
>> YOU STARTED HAVING SYMPTOMS
BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL THE VERY
END.
>> THAT'S THE NICE THING OF
HAVING A MIDWIFE IN THE
HOSPITAL.
YOU GET HIGH TOUCH, AND
LOW-TECH.
IF YOU NEED THE HIGH-TECH, IT'S
THERE.
WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH
PHYSICIANS IN OUR PRACTICE AND
WOMEN THAT NEED THAT EXTRA
MEDICAL ATTENTION, HAVE IT FROM
OUR PHYSICIANS.
>> WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
QUESTIONS THAT WOMEN WHO ARE
CONSIDERING HAVING A MIDWIFE,
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS
THEY SHOULD BE ASKING.
>> IF THEY'RE CONSIDERING HAVING
A MIDWIFE, THEY WANT TO KNOW,
THEY WOULD WANT TO EDUCATE
THEMSELVES ABOUT PREGNANCY AND
BIRTH.
AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT
MEDICATION.
MIDWIFES, WE USE MEDICATION BUT
OUR FOCUS IS NATURAL CHI BIRTH
>> YEAH.
AND THE WONDERFUL THING, I WAS
ABLE TO STILL HAVE A BABY
WITHOUT ANY INTERVENTION AND
THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT HAVING THE COMFORT THERE OF
A MIDWIFE.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE HAVING A PARENT
OR AN AUNT, A FAMILY MEMBER,
THAT THEY'RE JUST THERE TO KIND
OF WALK YOU THROUGH AND IT'S NOT
A.
[SOUNDS OF RUSHING WATER]
RUSH OR ANYTHING SOUP -- RUSH,
RUSH, RUSH, OR ANYTHING SUPER
CRAZY.
BUT IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL
EXPERIENCE.
AND WE'RE NOT FROM HERE.
SO WE DON'T HAVE FAMILY.
MY GRANDMOTHER WAS A MIDWIFE.
SHE'S ALMOST 90.
I WAS ABLE TO HAVE THAT WITH
THEIR GROUP.
YOU GET THAT SUPPORT.
YOU GET TALOVE.
AND IT JUST -- THAT LOVE.
AND IT JUST HELPS WITH THE WHOLE
PROCESS WHEN YOU'RE DELIVERING.
>> SUPPORTING WOMEN THROUGHOUT
THE PROCESS.
>> AND I KNOW -- JUST SEEING
THAT TREND, THAT MORE AND MORE
PEOPLE ARE DECIDING TO GO WITH A
MIDWIFE.
BUT I LIKE -- YOU'RE NOT MY ONLY
FRIEND THAT'S HAD -- IT'S NOT
NECESSARILY THE BABY THAT HAS
THE PROBLEM.
IT'S THE MOM.
>> RIGHT.
RIGHT.
AND SO WHEN YOU'RE IN A
HOSPITAL, YOU HAVE THAT SUPPORT.
AND THE PAVILION FOR WOMEN, WE
HAVE NOT JUST THE OBs BUT THE
DOCTORS THAT ARE THERE FOR THE
BABY.
AND SO IF WE HAVE ISSUES,
THEY'RE RIGHT ON HAND.
>> AND ANOTHER GOOD FEATURE I
HAVE TO INPUT HEAR IS YOU GET AN
OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH ALL THE
MUD MIDWIVES.
SO YOU'RE NOT SURE WHO'S GOING
TO DELIVER YOUR BABY BUT YOU
HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ESTABLISH
A RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH ONE.
>> YOU GUYS ARE ON-CALL.
>> JUST LIKE DOCTORS.
>> WE'RE PART OF A GROUP.
AND THERE ARE FIVE OF US.
AND YOU SEE MECH -- EACH MIDWIFE
THROUGHOUT THE VISIT.
YOU GET TO KNOW US ALL.
AND WHEN IT'S TIME FOR THE BABY,
YOU CALL US BECAUSE WE'RE ON
CALL 24/7 -- 24 HOURS AND ONE OF
US COMES TO YOUR BIRTH.
>> YOU HAVE SUCH A CALMING
PRESENCE.
I'M SURE.
>> AND IT'S LIKE THAT DURING THE
DELIVERY, WHICH YOU KNOW GETS
CRAZY.
SHE HAS A SOOTHING VOICE.
>> THIS BABY IS COMING.
>> NO, IT'S NOT!
>> IT'S ALL RIGHT.
IT'S ALL RIGHT.
THANKS FOR KEEPING MY DEER
FRIEND DEE --
>> YOU'RE SO WELCOME.