(NaturalPath) A story reported by the NY Daily News Reports that midwives, no obstetricians, are most common for caring pregnant women in Sweden. It Sweden, midwifes have been caring for the majority of the country’s pregnancies since the 18th century. This is not the case with most Westernized nations, but Sweden, and other Scandinavian countries, top the list of best countries in which to become a mother.
In Sweden, during a normal pregnancy, a woman may undergo only one ultrasound throughout her entire pregnancy. A pregnant woman will also have fewer blood and urine tests than in other countries.
Studies show that care from a midwife yields very safe outcomes. Namely, it can “reduce the number of premature births, the study’s authors say. In Sweden, only five percent of babies are born prematurely.”
In addition to fewer tests throughout pregnancy, there are also fewer medical interventions during labor. The article reports, “the number of Caesarian sections is relatively low in Sweden, at around 17 percent of births in 2011, and only 10 percent of women undergo episiotomy, an incision to widen the opening for delivery.”
While the medical approach is utilized more often in many Western countries, the Swedish system shows that midwives offer a safe and effective care since “pregnancy is a normal condition, and not an illness.”
Further Reading:
Eating for a Healthy Pregnancy
The Importance of Managing Mood During Pregnancy
Naturopathic Midwifery: Why it Still Matters
Why Women are Choosing Vaginal Birth and Home Birth After Caesarean