After a decade of providing Upper Valley women with what advocates say is a more personal method of giving birth, the Nurse-Midwifery Service at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center celebrates its 10th anniversary with an open house this Sunday.
The service provides an alternate form of health care for pregnant women, according to Katrina Alef, a certified nurse and midwife.
The midwives "always made me feel comfortable," said Tracy Bickford, a Lebanon, N.H. woman who has given birth to three children through the program.
The emphasis on personal attention was crucial in Bickford's decision to return to the DHMC nurse-midwife program, she said.
"Midwives emphasize that you are in charge," said Karin Heffernan, a New London, N.H. woman who had two children with the assistance of the midwives.
"They make enough time for you," Heffernan said.
Midwives provide pregnancy-related health care as well as general women's health care, said Lori Follensbee, who works in the Pregnancy Resource Center at the DHMC.
The midwives perform routine services during all stages of pregnancy. Women who want more personalized, holistic care during pregnancy often choose nurse-midwives instead of traditional obstetric care.
Midwives extend their scope beyond medical care to include day-to-day care of the women, Alef said.
At the DHMC, all the midwives have Master's degrees in nursing with a specialization in midwifery, according to a brochure provided by the DHMC.
Seven midwives assist with 30 to 40 births per month at the DHMC, Alef said.
"The best thing about the service is you really get to know the nurse-midwives," said Mary Henahan, a Plainfield, N.H. woman who was assisted by DHMC midwives through two pregnancies.
"You never feel like you're wasting their time," Henahan said. Henahan said she chose the program because she had friends who had had good experiences with the program.
