Naval Hospital Jax Nurse Midwives honor profession

Today's midwife is a skilled health care professional who provides high quality primary health care to women. While midwives are probably best known for their care of women during pregnancy and childbirth, they also manage the family planning and gynecologic needs of well women throughout their lifetime. Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) are registered nurses (RNs) who have successfully completed an accredited graduate education program and passed a national certification exam.

They are licensed to practice in all states. Certified Midwives (CMs) also complete an accredited graduate education program and pass a certification exam. CMs are not registered nurses, but may hold other professional designations as health care providers such as a physician assistant or physical therapist. Standards for education and certification in midwifery are identical for CNMs and CMs. Both CNMs and CMs practice within a health care system that provides for consultation, collaborative management or referral as indicated by the health status of the patient.

The American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) is the professional organization for midwives. ACNM has approximately 7,000 members. In 2004, the most recent year for which data is available from the National Center for Health Statistics, there were 308,113 midwife-attended births in the United States. This accounts for 11 percent of all vaginal births that year. The number of midwife-attended births has increased every year since 1975, the first year that the NCHS began collecting this data. The majority of midwife-attended births occur in hospitals. In 2004, 98 percent of midwives' deliveries occurred in hospitals, one percent in freestanding birth centers and one percent in the home.

"Midwife means "with woman," and that includes the whole woman. Through our activities this week, we will educate, inform and empower women," said Lt. Cmdr. Sara Shaffer, CNM at the naval hospital. "National Midwifery Week is a chance for midwives and the women they serve to reflect on their experiences and midwifery's contributions to women's health care, from attending births to well-women care." Shaffer provides midwifery care at the Naval Hospital along with colleagues Cmdr. Cathy McCrary, Cmdr. Casey Adams and Lt. Cmdr. Laura Bennett. Bennett is currently deployed in Cuba.

The heart of midwifery care for women and newborns lies more in the nature of that care than in its specific components. Midwifery practice has a firm foundation in the critical thought process and is focused on the prevention of disease and the promotion of health, taking the best from the disciplines of midwifery, nursing, public health and medicine to provide safe, holistic care.

Midwifery is a profession born of a woman's vision, nurtured in an understanding of women's developmental phases, and committed to assuring women in all populations that it is their birthright to be part of this unique care.

Sara Gunderson and her husband MR2 Court Gunderson had a "wonderful experience" working with Certified Nurse Midwife Cmdr. Cathy McCrary at Naval Hospital Jacksonville. Gunderson attended her pregnancy through to delivery and the delivery of her first child. With Kaylee she followed the pregnancy but the job in the delivery room fell to her colleague Adams

The Gunderson's first child, Ella, was born Jan. 31, 2006 and their second, Kaylee, was born Sept. 2, 2007. Court serves aboard the USS DeWert (FFG-40) homeported at Naval Station Mayport. Sara said when she went to the clinic at Mayport she was told great things about McCrary from other patients.

After meeting the midwife she was pleased. "We liked her personality. She explained everything and would stay longer to make sure all our questions were answered. She is very dedicated and goes out of her way to help us."

Sara said she went through all the classes the hospital offered for new moms with her first child and was pleased with how they involved her husband as well. "It was directed at both of us. It helped him know how to make me feel more comfortable," she said.

Although she had to be induced in the second delivery, she said both deliveries went well. "The people were very helpful and made sure I had everything I needed. They were prepared for any complications and made us feel safe."

McCrary even helped arrange for Court to fly back from deployment aboard the DeWert in Central America. He was a little late (14 hours) getting here but said it was great to be there to help care for Ella while mom was recuperating and to see the newborn so soon after the delivery.

When we spoke to Sara on Sept. 28 she was preparing for her first visit to Naval Hospital Jacksonville Pediatrics for Kaylee's new-baby check and everyone was doing great. They look forward to continuing their care through Naval Hospital Jacksonville and Sarah said she'd recommend her midwives to anyone.