A growing number of people are choosing midwives for pregnancy support and birth. Midwifery care has many benefits and may be right for you. One in ten births in the U.S. are attended by midwives, and a growing number of people are choosing them for their pregnancy and birth care.

Midwives are trained to support normal pregnancies and births, and refer people to obstetrician-gynecologist physicians for high-risk pregnancies. Midwives do not perform Cesarean section births, but they can prescribe pain medications and epidurals during labor. Overall, midwives are less likely to use interventions during your birth, and are more likely to provide hands-on one-on-one support throughout your labor. And, the outcomes of a birth with a midwife are equally good as with a physician.

You might prefer a midwife if…

• You want a holistic approach to your pregnancy and birth
• Your pregnancy is low-risk
• You are interested in giving birth at home or in a non-hospital birth center
• You expect to pay yourself for a lot of your pregnancy and birth care - midwives are usually less expensive