Midwifery
Midwives are professionals who aid in the processes of labor, delivery and postpartum care. Midwifery minimizes the level of medical intervention during pregnancy and delivery, though midwives can still be present during a hospital delivery.
Certified nurse midwives in Roanoke, Virginia
Our compassionate team is here to support your birth plan.
At LewisGale Medical Center, we understand the importance of having options during childbirth. Our certified nurse midwives (CNMs) work with obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYNs) to ensure that you have the delivery you envision, along with healthy outcomes for you and your baby.
Related specialties
Learn more about our related specialties.
Midwifery services we offer
From helping you create your birth plan all the way through your newborn's first days, our CNMs are prepared to give you the guidance and support you need so you are as prepared as possible for motherhood.
CNMs vs. OB/GYNs services
CNMs help to coordinate your care so that you can realize your chosen birth plan. They prioritize strategies for deliveries that do not require the aid of traditional medicine, otherwise known as low-intervention births. From prenatal care to postpartum support, midwives also perform wellness exams and other aspects of overall care to ensure that you are as healthy as possible throughout your pregnancy and beyond your delivery.
If you are free of preexisting medical complications and show no signs of having a high-risk pregnancy, midwifery care at our hospital could be the right for you. However, if you possess any conditions that could define your pregnancy as high-risk, you would turn to an OB/GYN for your labor and delivery care. OB/GYNs are physicians that have completed medical school, residency and additional specialized training. While CNMs specialize in low-intervention births, OB/GYNs handle all pregnancies and can intervene in cases of required cesarean sections (C-sections).
As your pregnancy progresses, your physician will continue to provide you with routine prenatal care. However, your midwife will become your primary caregiver. If unexpected complications do arise, your midwife will collaborate with your OB/GYN and our hospitalist to make sure that you and your baby are safe.
Low-intervention birth
We understand that you want to minimize medical interventions during your delivery. Our midwives work to give you peace of mind and the guidance that can help inform labor at home, understanding when to come to the hospital and how to be in sync with your body both during pregnancy and during labor. Our midwives provide a host of low-intervention birthing services, including:
- Alternative labor and birthing positions
- Aromatherapy
- Delayed cord clamping
- Hydrotherapy
- Personalized support
- Skin-to-skin contact after birth
- Wireless monitoring
Looking for a location?
Our Midwifery Locations
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