Midwifery and Hawaii

by the Midwives Alliance of Hawaii

The modern midwife is a caregiver who works with healthy women and newborns. Focusing on the natural processes of pregnancy, labor and birth she combines traditional skills and modern clinical techniques to safeguard normal childbirth. Midwives understand that pregnancy and birth are normal, healthy processes and provide women with encouragement and guidance to promote a healthy pregnancy, labor and delivery with minimal intervention. Midwives strive to empower parents with knowledge and support their right to create the birth experience that is best for them. The midwife may work autonomously but maintains associations with physicians and other health care providers to ensure that mother and child have access to the best knowledge and technology available. If complications develop women are referred to medical care.

The Midwives Model of Care includes:

• Monitoring the physical, psychological, and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle
• Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support
• Minimizing technological interventions
• Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention

In Hawaii , Direct Entry Midwives (DEMs) are legal by statute, but licensure is currently unavailable. Midwives Alliance of Hawaii was founded in May 1993. This non-profit organization was formed in the interest of furthering the profession of midwifery as a safe alternative for healthy mothers and babies. The early goals of this particular organization included establishment of midwifery educational guidelines, development of a peer review process, development of precise protocols and the development of a certification process or state licenser for direct entry midwives. Almost all of these goals have been met since Midwives Alliance of Hawaii’s inception. The main purpose of MAH is to educate the public as to the benefits of midwifery care in improving maternal and infant health. For more information or to find a midwife in your area, see www.midwiveshawaii.org or call 776-1618 .