MORNING GLORY STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY AND ETHICS
Philosophy of Birth and Midwifery Care
Philosophy of Birth and Midwifery Care
- Birth is usually a normal, physiological bodily process.
- Pregnancy and birth can have a profound transformative effect on women and families.
- Midwives are the appropriate care providers for the majority of women during their childbearing years. Homebirth with a midwife is a safe, reasonable choice for many women.
- A collaborative, integrative model of care between midwives and other care providers and medical professionals provides the highest level of quality and safety for maternity care.
- Midwives respect a woman’s intuition and ability to make informed decisions for herself and her baby.
- Pregnancy and birth are points on the continuum of a woman’s sexuality.
- The mother-baby is an inseparable and interdependent pair.
- Some women will require medical care outside of the midwife’s scope of practice. Appropriate and evidence-based use of technology and intervention, as well as appropriate and timely consultation, referral, and transfer of care are important aspects of safe midwifery care.
- The goal of midwifery care is safe, respectful care of the mother-baby pair throughout the childbearing cycle using education, counseling, information, and support to reduce risk and promote health.
- Midwives provide women and families with information and advice in a way that promotes shared decision-making and participation by the woman and family.
- Continuing education for midwives is essential in order to provide evidence-based care. Interventions are chosen or recommended based on evidence, after ensuring that the benefits outweigh the risks.
- Shared decision making is a merging of knowledge, skills, intuition, and clinical judgment. The woman’s input is respected and heard.
- Midwives offer equal quality, respectful care to all women they serve, regardless of a woman’s culture, race, ethnicity, family situation, psychosocial well being, financial means, religion, and sexuality.
- Midwives communicate openly and honestly with the mothers they serve, and freely provide information about philosophy, training and experience, legal status, grievance procedures, and any limitations imposed by state or local regulatory agencies.
- Provides continuity by giving supportive care if the mother is transferred, unless the mother declines.
- In the case of transfer of care, the midwife provides appropriate records and information to a receiving provider and/or facility in order to maximize safe care of the mother-baby.
- All people have the right to bodily integrity. The cosmetic altering of children's bodies without their consent violates their human rights. Morning Glory does not support Routine Infant Circumcision (RIC).
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