Why Choose The Madison Midwives By, Christine Kern Steffen

It’s hard to believe that 5 years ago we were in the final stages of getting ready to announce the opening of The Madison Midwives! With a passion for always helping women to find a birthing option that was best for them, doctors Melius, Schurr & Cardwell were forward thinking and helped bring this collaborative practice to the women of southern Wisconsin….Midwives and OB’s working together to give women new options for birth and beyond.

What makes our midwife practice different from doctors/other midwives?

We work in a small practice that offers individualized care with a close relationship with the Physicians in our partner practice to collaborate effectively to meet a wide variety of women’s health care needs.

How do you handle high-risk pregnancies?

We co-manage high risk pregnancies with the OB/Gyn’s from our partner clinic, Physicians For Women. We see the women in clinic and care for them throughout pregnancy, labor and birth. Along the way, the Physicians are updated on their care and consulted if the need arises.

Why do women choose a midwife-assisted birth?

Women choose a midwife- assisted birth because of the relationship that is built between the midwife and the family.. Midwives encourage women to be an active participant in their healthcare decisions and provide knowledgeable and compassionate care in partnering with women as they make these decisions.

What services do you provide during prenatal care and labor/delivery?

We see patients during pregnancy in a clinic setting following a standard Prenatal care model with access to laboratory and ultrasound as needed or desired by patient and midwife care team.

We provide one on one labor support during the whole labor process. We care for women through the whole delivery process as well as postpartum care both immediately in the hospital and in the weeks following the birth. The OB/GYNs at Physicians for Women are on call if needed for any collaboration that might arise during the labor and delivery process.

What kinds of birthing choices do your patients tend to make? (birthing center, home birth, water birth, hospital birth, etc.)

We assist women that come to our clinic in Midwife attended hospital births. There are many women and families that would like Midwifery care but are more comfortable in the hospital, we felt the need to serve that population of women. We offer water birth in Meriter’s waterbirth suites as an option for women who desire.

Why should patients have a midwife?

Midwives are experts in supporting women in normal, healthy childbirth. Midwives focus on what is most important to each woman’s unique situation and values. Midwives are dedicated to providing women with the personalized health care experience they deserve.