Celebrating midwifery in May

To the editor,

International Midwives Day is celebrated on May 5 in over 50 nations to recognize and honor midwives who work to improve health education, wellness, and safety in childbirth for women throughout the world. In recognition of this day, the Midwives Association of Alaska (MAA), whose members consist of Certified Direct-Entry Midwives (CDM) and Licensed Apprentices, announces some of the newest collected data of vital statistics and birth outcomes for planned out-of-hospital deliveries attended by midwives throughout the state. Midwifery has always been an integral part of women’s healthcare, and direct-entry midwives have been licensed in Alaska since 1992.

In 2014, there were over 11,400 births in the state (Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics), and of that number 620 women were served by licensed midwives. Of those 620 women, over 96 percent had a vaginal delivery, and less than 2 percent of women were transferred in labor for an urgent problem. Additionally, less than 1 percent of those babies were transported to a hospital after birth for an urgent problem. On average, the babies weighted 8 pounds at birth, and over 96 percent of the mothers were still breastfeeding at their last postpartum visit.

MAA is proud of these excellent statistical outcomes of midwife-attended out-of-hospital (home and birth center) Alaska births. Midwives look forward to continuing to partner with women in Alaska as they make safe, educated, and deliberate choices about their health care and childbirth options.

The members of MAA extend gratitude to the physicians, certified nurse midwives, and other healthcare providers with whom they collaborate and consult, to the state legislators and representatives who support midwifery in Alaska, and to the women and babies they are honored to serve.

Mollie Whipple, licensed apprentice

Susan Terwilliger, CDM, President of MAA