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What is a midwife and what services do they provide? N ancey Rosensweig, a certified nurse midwife, joined Health Quest Medical Practice (HQMP) in 2011, and has more than 15 years experience in guiding women through their pregnancies. She answers questions about mid- wives and their services. What is a midwife? Midwife means "with women." The modern midwife provides comprehensive women's health care from adolescence through meno- pause. At HQMP, Suzanne Berger, Julie Denney, Nancey Rosensweig, and Jane Swingle are all certified nurse midwives, trained and li- censed as independent women's healthcare providers. We perform annual GYN exams, prescribe medications for birth con- trol and infections, counsel women on available screening tests for sexually transmitted infections, and provide routine prenatal care. Why choose a midwife for pregnancy care? Midwives are trained to provide medical care and we approach care and pregnancy in a holistic manner. We are available to discuss the physiological, emotional, social and familial changes that take place, and we help women adjust to these changes. The midwives of HQMP are unique in the Hudson Valley in that we offer 24-hour midwifery care. What is the difference between a midwife and a doula? Doulas are not health care profes- sionals. They do provide hands-on support during the labor and the birth process and accompany the woman and her partner from the home environment to the place of birth (if she is not birthing at home). They also become a sounding board helping with decision making in terms of interventions. This allows couples to focus on the normalcy and spirituality of childbirth. Doulas suggest methods for coping with pain in labor, as well as help couples adjust to parenting and breastfeeding. Do midwives provide pain management during labor? Using a midwife does not mean birthing without pain medication or without physicians. Midwives can offer a wide range of options for pain relief such as massage, movement, gym balls, showers and baths; then, if necessary, we move on to medica- tions to help the woman rest using pills or IV medications. Anesthesia or an epidural is also available. What if I have a "high risk" pregancy or a labor complication? At HQMP, midwives work along- side the attending physicians. When complications arise, they co-man- age the health of the woman and her baby. Midwives are trained to recognize the signs of labor com- plications and how to intervene appropriately. They do not perform Caesarian sections or vacuum deliv- eries. Some high risk pregnancies need to be managed exclusively by physicians, but in most cases, mid- wives work as a member of the team to provide a safe and satisfying birth experience. HQMP has a Maternal Fetal Medicine physician on staff if high-risk pregnancy care is needed. Nancey Rosensweig, CNM, sees patients in HQMP's Rhinebeck and Kingston offices and "catches" babies at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhineback ""Midwives are trained to provide medical care and they approach care and pregnancy in a holistic manner." Nancey Rosensweig, CNM Health Quest Medical Practice