[4 min read]
In this article:
- Our midwives attend births and help prepare patients and their families for parenthood.
- They also provide expert, comprehensive women’s health care, before, during and after childbirth, including annual exams and menopause care.
- Midwives lead our CenteringPregnancy program, a unique group care model that takes the place of individual prenatal visits.
- Every one of our midwives is committed to every birthing family we serve and ensuring that they receive the best care and have the best outcome possible.
Providence Swedish delivers more babies than any hospital in western Washington State. Every caregiver is committed to helping parents and families have the healthiest pregnancy and best birthing experience possible. We offer a host of resources for birthing people and their families, including classes, midwife and doula support, and support for breastfeeding and chest feeding.
One unique program available to families is CenteringPregnancy, a unique prenatal care model that offers midwife support in a group setting. Studies have shown that parents who participate in CenteringPregnancy are happier with their birth experience and feel more prepared for labor, childbirth and parenting.
To learn more about CenteringPregnancy and midwifery services at Providence Swedish we spoke with Michele Ankrim, DNP, CNM, who shared more about this unique care model and how it benefits birthing parents, their babies and the entire family.
What is a midwife? What services do Swedish midwives provide?
There are a lot of misconceptions about midwives and the role they play in prenatal care, childbirth and post-natal care. Most people think we only attend home births or that our patients cannot choose an epidural. Midwives do much more.
At Swedish, we have 17 Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) at our First Hill, Ballard and Issaquah campuses. All of our midwives are nurses with a master’s degree or doctorate degree. Our midwives not only attend births and help prepare patients and their families for parenthood, but we also provide expert, comprehensive women’s health care. This includes ante and postpartum care, primary care, annual exams, birth control counseling, menopausal care, breastfeeding support and more. Essentially, we see patients right out of puberty all the way through menopause. We do all the things.
We provide evidence-based care for parents so they can make the best choices for themselves and their families. We are there in a supportive role, not to dictate care decisions for birthing parents.
What is unique about midwives and their role in pregnancy and childbirth care?
Midwife care is not a hierarchical model. It is a partnership between us and the families we work with. We have education and expertise, but we also believe that families are also experts in deciding the kind of care that works for them. Our job is to have the most up-to-date education possible and share that knowledge and their options with families so they can make the most informed decision for themselves. We also work with families through our group care model program CenteringPregnancy program, which I really love.
What is CenteringPregnancy? How does it work?
CenteringPregnancy is a group prenatal care model that takes the place of individual visits. Our groups are comprised of 8-10 families all of whom are due within the same month. We meet for two hours at a time, and everyone gets the chance to have a private moment with the midwife to go over their own progress or concerns. We cover a different educational topic for 90 minutes each week and make sure that there is plenty of time for questions.
I love this model of care because it really connects people going through the same things. It’s one thing for me to talk about lower back pain during pregnancy, but to sit together with other people experiencing it and sharing what it’s like is a different experience. It’s a unique partnership that builds real relationships. Many families stay in touch for years.
What are the benefits of this care model?
There are many. CenteringPregnancy participants have better health outcomes, including lower rates of both pre-term labor and low birth weight babies and fewer problems with breastfeeding. I love this program so much I did my doctorate project on it.
Centering participants also have more time with their midwife as well as the support and friendship of other program participants. It’s not unusual for Centering families to remain friends; they have shared such an important and intense experience.
We know that Providence Swedish is committed to all aspects of health equity and the best maternal care in every community we serve. What role do midwives play in this work?
I’m extremely proud of the commitment to health equity at Swedish. Every one of our midwives is absolutely committed to every birthing family we serve and ensuring that they receive the best care and have the best outcome possible.
We know that in the United States pregnancy related mortality among Black and American Indian and Alaska Native women is, respectively, three and two times higher than white women. We want to ensure that there’s expanded access to culturally connected care and services that support better outcomes.
CenteringPregnancy has been shown to nearly eliminate racial disparities in preterm birth. African American women, who are at higher risk for preterm birth in the US, experience lower risk of preterm birth when enrolled in CenteringPregnancy than in traditional care. We also work very closely with our Swedish doulas, who are professionals trained to take care of birthing parents emotional and physical needs throughout labor and area also proven by research to improve birth outcomes.
Learn more and find physician or advanced practice clinician care (APC)
Swedish has three birth centers — First Hill, Issaquah and Edmonds — making it convenient for people who live or work in the Seattle, Eastside and North End areas. Swedish patients can take classes, meet other families, get help with lactation and go for new parents and well-baby checkups at The Lytle Center for Pregnancy & Newborns at our First Hill birth center. You can also get expert advice there and help with wellness. Visit our website to learn more about midwives at Swedish and how they can partner with you to create the most personalized birthing experience possible.
If you need a gynecologist, women's health specialist or primary care doctor, Swedish is here for you. Whether you require an in-person visit or want to consult a doctor virtually, you have options. Swedish Virtual Care connects you face-to-face with a nurse practitioner who can review your symptoms, provide instruction and follow up as needed. If you need to find a doctor, you can use our provider directory.
Information for patients and visitors
Additional resources
At Swedish, midwives’ expansive role in care is helping build community
Cutting-edge care for patients giving birth and their babies | king5.com
Centering Pregnancy: prenatal and midwifery care in a supportive group setting
Comprehensive care for people with complex pregnancies
This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your health care professional’s instructions.
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