Improving Our Maternity Care Now Through Midwifery

Area of Science:

• Maternal Health
• Healthcare Systems Research
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• The current maternity care system faces challenges in providing equitable, high-quality care.
• There is an urgent need for effective maternity care models that address current disparities.
• The Improving Our Maternity Care Now project aims to transform maternity care delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the benefits of high-performing maternity care models, focusing on midwifery care.
• To advocate for increased access to evidence-based, relationship-centered maternity care.
• To provide recommendations for policymakers to expand midwifery services.

Main Methods:

• This report is the first in a series examining distinctive, high-performing care models.
• It focuses on midwifery care, analyzing its features and outcomes.
• The analysis is based on a technical report from the National Partnership for Women & Families.

Main Results:

• Midwifery care models provide appropriate services, minimizing underuse of beneficial and overuse of harmful practices.
• These models prioritize relationship-based, whole-person care, supporting innate physiologic processes.
• Midwifery care achieves superior outcomes compared to standard maternity care and is highly desired by childbearing individuals.

Conclusions:

• Transforming maternity care systems is crucial for improving outcomes.
• Increasing access to midwifery care, particularly community-based models, is essential for equitable, high-quality maternal health.
• Policy and private sector changes are needed to expand access to trusted, culturally congruent midwifery services.