For Midwives

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Mississippi Midwives Alliance Recommendations for Standards of Care

• Prenatal Care: It is the recommendation of the MMA that all midwives offer 5-10 prenatal visits including:

  •  Prenatal education

  • Risk assessment 

  •  Mother's weight

  •  Urinalysis 

  •  Mother's Vital Signs; including Pulse and Blood pressure

  • Fundal height measurement

  • Palpation for baby's position and size

  • Fetal Heart Tones

• Antenatal Care: It is the recommendation of the MMA that midwives attending out-of-hospital births remain current in Neonatal Resuscitation Certification and provide the following care during labor:

  • Maternal Vital Signs every 4 hours; including, blood pressure, pulse, and temperature

  • Intermittent fetal heart tone monitoring 

  • Post Partum Care: It is the recommendation of the MMA that midwives remain with their clients for 3-4 hours after the delivery of the placenta. During this period, the following care should be provided:

  • Frequent vitals, fundal, and bleeding checks

  • Support in the initiation of breastfeeding 

  •  Preform an initial newborn exam

• The midwife will also:

  • Schedule at least ONE in-home visits in the first week 

  • Schedule a telephone or in-person visit at two or three weeks 

  •  Conduct additional visits as necessary

  • File the birth certificate and discuss options of or arrangements for newborn screening

  •  Schedule a six-week visit to physically examine mother and baby

 

Covid MMA position statement

Greetings!  

 

We hope you and your families  are well. There are hundreds of expectant families wondering if this global pandemic will affect them, their pregnancy, their family,  and their unborn baby.  We assure you we have the same concerns for ourselves, our own families, our clients, and community as well.  Midwives have been rooted in every community since communities began.  Our care for women and their families has been a pillar in every community on the planet.  The idea that women can physiologically have their babies without intervention is not new.  Physiological birth, also known as low intervention, or “natural” birth has been shown to be very beneficial for mothers and babies worldwide.  

For good reason, there are lots of families who have some anxiety surrounding their impending birth.  Some are finding out daily that things are changing at their chosen birth location and are unsure what birth will look like when their time comes to welcome their new baby.  We assure you that your concerns are not unheard.  The midwives of Mississippi Midwives’ Alliance hear your concerns and hold  those and other concerns close to our hearts. 

Midwives are frontline workers when it comes to the care of low risk mothers and babies in out of hospital environments. Some families choose midwifery care as soon as they have the earliest inkling that they may have a baby on the way the same way others choose the medical model of care.  Mississippi has too few midwives who specialize in out of hospital birth.  Mississippi does not currently provide licensure for midwives.  Most insurance companies do cover out of hospital birth.  Many practices are full many months in advance.  

The midwives of MMA understand that parents are facing many new restrictions at their medical facility of choice. This is a scary and uncertain time, with hospital policies changing almost hourly.  There may be some midwives who are taking new clients, but many don't have the capacity to take clients late to care.  Keep in mind, even though clients are coming into care late, fees can’t be discounted and the strict criteria we maintain for low risk mothers remains the same.  

Midwives, like many OB/GYN practices, have gone to some telemedicine visits with their clients.  Families may find that some midwives can begin telemed prenatals, even though the midwife may not be able to provide care during the birth of the baby.  Some midwives also can be very helpful in the time postpartum by doing postpartum telemed, lactation counseling, or general health assessments for new parents and their newborns.  Each midwife will be different in what she decides to do for her community so utilize our directory and contact each midwife directly with any individual questions.  Expectant families will find that midwives will be happy to hear from them and answer any question they have during a consultation.  

 

Cordially, 

The midwives’ of the MMA

 

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Bylaws 

A current copy of our organization’s bylaws are available HERE.