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March 3, 2006     Barnstable Patriot
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March 3, 2006
 
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HEALTH5 CArE... Midwifery meets modern medicine for a better birth At home delivery an option for many By Kathleen Manwaring kmanwanng@bafnstablepatnot.com When a woman learns that she is pregnant her emotional response may understandably be powerful, runningthe gamut from joy to trepidation. No doubt her mind will fill with questions.AmIready? Willit be aboyor a girl?Perhaps noques- tion ismoreimportant than that of where to seek prenatal care and planning for the delivery. Midwives are becominganin- creasingly popularchoiceamong a growing number of women in the U.S.Already widely utilized in many European countries; midwifery is gaining popularity with American women. Similar to an OB/Gyn physi- cian, a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) performs a variety of medical procedures including exams, testing, family plan- ning and prenatal care. The primary difference isin the type of care. "Certified Nurse Midwives look at a woman as a whole be- ing," said Louise Bastarache, CNM with Wareham Nurse MidwivesEC."It'savery holistic approach." Certified Professional Mid- wives also take a holistic ap- proach incaringfor anexpectant mother with the added benefit of helping women prepare for a home birth. Paige Eastman is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) in New Bedford who assists women throughout the South- eastern coastal areas. "Certified Professional Midwives are inde- pendent and can offer women different options for birth,"she explained. It is the personal level of care midwifery provides that helps women feel comfortable during pregnancy, birth and thereafter. Due to the constraints that many health insurance compa- nies have put on doctors, an av- erage office visit can last amere 15minutes, however, midwives fallunder lessrestrictive guide- lines that benefit the patients greatly. "It's a very personal approach,"saidBastarache."We ask about a woman's job, her home life and family situation." Shealsonoted that afamily-cen- tered teaching time is covered in prenatal care. "We help the person right on her level." Eastman spends approxi- mately 45 to 60 minutes with her clients during each visit when they discuss physical symptoms, emotional wellness and any issues that may have arisen in between visits. "I spend alot of time on coun- seling," she said. "Nothing falls throughthe cracks.It isthe gold standard of care." Perhaps the most important function of a midwife is that of delivering the baby. Where a physician may be in and out of the room whileawoman'slabor progresses, it is the job of a midwifetoremainwithamother duringher entire labor,whether at home or in a hospital. Duties include seeing that the mother is comfortable in labor, that her surroundings are as stress-free as possible and that the birth occurs as naturallyaspossibleusingfewer medications. In a home birth, midwives such as Eastman come directly to the mother'shome and assist her throughout her labor."They really get that extra attention," she said. Bastarache explained that midwives actually labor with their patients throughout the birth experience. "We labor to- gether,help them push. Women can hold the baby and feed the baby right away. We have the women see that they can do it. They feel empowered." Midwives are on call 24 hours a dayandtherefore areprepared im- mediate assistance,whichmeans fewer epidurals. They also main- tain a strong relationship with obstetricians. Should a problem arise there is always a backup physician ready to assist. Another benefit to using a midwife is the support they providefoliowingthebirth when many mothers appreciate as- sistance.Midwivesteach proper breastfeedingprocedures ,dem- onstrate baby care methods, and ensure the new mother is doing well both mentally and physically. "Our postpartum care isvery involved," said Bastarache. Three weeks ago Nicole Pavick of Dennis gave birth to her daughter Ivy Sephine with the assistance of Eastman and a fellow midwife from Boston. "It was areallyamazing experi- ence," she said. "Better than I could imagine." Pavickwasthrilledtohaveher baby in the comfort of her own home and firmly believes that thehomebirthwasamajor asset inherquickrecovery."There was somuch attention and compas- sion,"saidPavick."Forme itwas the perfect experience." As aphysicaltherapist famil- iar with the health care field, Pavick learned of home births whiletakingaphysicaltherapy course from Elizabeth Noble. Having come from a holistic background, home birth with amidwife seemed like the most natural choice for PavicK. "I experienced a level of care you don't get through managed health care,"she said. "I had all the knowledge I needed going intothepregnancy.Nobodywas really makingany decisions for me. It was a very empowering experience." While Bastarache acknowl- edges that generalimpressions of midwives are muddled, she encourageswomento step back from that thinking. "If women would stop listening to the me- diaandstartrememberingwhat birth really is, it would be won- derful,"she said. "I believe that midwives are the answer." For more information on midwifery visit www.birthyearnetwork .org or www.midwife.org. HEALTHREPORT Cape Cod Hospital named to top 100 Cape Cod Healthcare announced that Cape Cod Hospital has been chosen as one of the Top 100 hospitals in America, having achieved outstanding organizational performance in clinical outcomes , opera- tional efficiency, financial results and adaptation to environmental change. This is the fifth time in nine years the hospital, a partner within Cape Cod Healthcare, has been selected. Center for Breastfeeding Healthy Children classes The Center for Breastfeeding is holding a series of classes for mothers and their little ones. Courses include Itsy Bitsy Yoga, Radiant Child Yoga and Sign Language for Babies. A Nursing Moms' Group meets weekly and Getting Started at Breastfeeding meets the first Friday of the month. For more information , call 1-888-890-2229. VNA screenings The Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod is offering a free Health and Human Service Screening Program March 6 from noon to 4:30 p.m. at the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and Islands, 311 Service Road, Sandwich; March 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Cape Cod Community College's Hyannis Campus, 540 Main St.; March 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Yarmouth Plaza, 1047 Route 28; and March 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at K-Mart Plaza, 790 lyannough Road in Hyannis. For more information , call 1-888-557-9994. Magazine to hold body, mind, spirit exchange CapeHealingArtsMagazinewill present Body, Mind, Spirit: an Educational Exchange Sunday, March 26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Wequassett Inn on Pleasant Bay in Harwich. Attendees may take part in exhibits, information sessions and panel discussions. A Continental breakfast and lunch buffet are included. Through March 18, registration fees are $89 for the full day and $32 for the afternoon only; afterwards , it's $99/full day and $35/afternoon. Discounts are available. Call Stacey Flanagan, event coordinator, at 508-896-7117. New YMCA classes The YMCA is offering five new classes for its Spring I session: YO- Pilates, Healthy Lifestyles, Nutritional Analysis, Basic Self Defense for Women, and Country Line Dancing. For more information, visit www.ymcacapecod.org or call 508-362-6500, ext. 106. Maintain your brain Cape United Elders will hold a Brown Bag Luncheon on Tuesday, March 7, from 1to 3 p.m. at the Federated Church, 320 Main Street, Hyannis. Diane McCafferty of the Alzheimer's Association will speak on "Maintaining Your Brain." Reservations can be made by calling 508-771-1727 , ext. 159 or 1-800-845-1999, ext. 159. Free men's health evaluation Mid-Cape Home Centers along with the Visiting Nurse Association CONTINUED ON PAGE B:7 BOARD CERTIFIED OPHTH ALMOLOGIST • Annual Routine Exams • General Opt halmology • Glaucoma & Cataract Consultation * Prompt & Convenient Early Evening Appoi ntments * Accepting New Patients AFFILIATEDWITH... Gip? Corf Hoff kl,Mmdmtts Ei/cand EarIn/biary, Harvardttdid Sdiool,AmbulatorySur$mjtini lasnOntnof Caf ( Coi 1 The Main StreetMedial Building, 51Main Street,Hyannis,MA I WELLESLEY HILLS / HYANNIS / FALMOUTH hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmtmsmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Do You Have Pain, Tingling Numbness Cold Feet, Burning Feet & Hands? Clinically Proven New Therapy Helped Thousands With Neuropathy • Reduction in Pain • Restores sensation in feet & hands! • Improved Balance - fewer falls! • Potential to prevent amputations! SAFE, PAINLESS NON-INVASIVE, DRUG-FREE Call now and ask for an appointment to see if our Neuropathy Treatment Program is right for you! The Physical Therapy Center 508-428-0300 719 Main Street, Osterville (between Wi mpy 's & Fancy 's) Old knees... CONTINUED FROM PAGE B:3 four seconds at 60, according to Ellicks. "Leave moredistance (to the car) infront ofyou,and avoid that left hand turn," he said. "The left-hand turn isadifficult maneuver tomake because of slowre- action time and adecrease in depth perception" AAAAFoundationstudy "found that senior drivers are more likely to be in- volved in left-turn crashes as they age. The potential left-turn crash-risk is 25 percent higher for 65year- olds and 50 percent higher for 85 year-olds compared to 55 to 64 year-olds." "We keep telling stu- dents to avoid adangerous left hand turn by making three rights instead," said Judson, who added that speeders today put seniors at adefinite disadvantage. "There are people that show up out of nowhere." In Massachusetts, there are 666,522 drivers over the age of 65. "Our older population is rapidly growing," said Ellicks. "What I can see is that the programismore in demand,it hastripled over the past six years." In fact , she gave 151 presentations to approxi- mately 3000 people in 2005. "We feel education is key for any driver,"saidEllicks. "Wealsotalk about prepar- ingfor the day whenwe can no longer drive." One of the ways to do this is to make alterna- tive arrangementsthrough family and friends, public transportation or seek as- sistance from your local senior center. "One of the things we cover is speaking to your friends if you think they should not be driving," said Judson. "Get them to thinkabout getting off the road and finding alterna- tive sources of transpor- tation." If you are wondering whether you should be on the road, AAA offers the Roadwise Review: A Tool to Help Seniors Drive Safe- ly Longer."A scientifically validated screening tool, it is available on CD-ROM which "allows seniors to measure in the privacy of their own home the eight functional abilities shown to be the strongest predic- tors of crash risk among older drivers." If you feel the need to polish your driving proficiency, Judson is available to teach classes. The fee is $10, payable to AARP and is usually reimbursed to participants who finish the class, by the facility hosting the event. His upcoming classes will be held at two as- sisted living facilities: Falmouth's Atria Woodbriar on April 27 and 28 and Brewster 's Epoch on June 14 and 15. He may be reached at 508-563-5792. Ellicks is also available to do presentations throughout the year and may be reached at 617-351-9959. For more information go to www.aarp. org or www.aaasne.org. . 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