Most people who become pregnant automatically know that they want to go see their OB in order to make sure that the pregnancy is rolling along smoothly. They also know that they want them to be present with them when they have the baby. Some individuals take a different route and remain under the care of a midwife. If you are considering becoming pregnant, you obviously want to know what the major differences between the two are. This will help you make your choice in deciding whether you want to have an OB present or you want to utilize a midwife throughout your pregnancy.
There are actually a number of differences between the two but the most obvious difference is that OB is a medical professional that has been trained in both basic medicine and obstetrics. These are physicians that specialize in the field of obstetrics, meaning that they have had all of the medical training that is required of every other doctor and then they have gone through additional training just for this specific purpose. They usually work out of their own office or out of the hospital and they are almost always associated with a major hospital that makes hundreds of deliveries within a specified amount of time.
On the other hand, a midwife is often a person that has much of the same experience but does not have the medical training on a professional level. That does not mean that a midwife is less capable than an OB. In some cases, midwives are extremely capable of dealing with unexpected situations and helping people through rather complex problems. However, these individuals do not have medical training or the medical background that an OB is likely to have. The biggest risk is that a midwife may not be able to help you if you are pregnant and you suddenly have an emergency with the baby during birth. However, that should not take away from the fact that there are some very skilled midwives out there that are quite capable of doing a fantastic job. In the end, it really comes down to you making a choice about how you want your baby to be brought into the world and which method works best for your lifestyle.
Nursing Resources:
mana.org
www.thinkcnaonline.com
www.mayoclinic.org
All About Midwives 