The Midwifery Practice at Stony Brook
We are a full scope midwifery practice caring for women throughout the life cycle from puberty on through menopause. We believe that there are natural rhythms within a woman's life, which include sexuality, pregnancy, childbearing and menopause. Each is an important event within the life of a woman and her family. We spend time with women...listening and learning from them in the process of educating women about their health choices. The Midwifery Practice works through the Renaissance School of Medicine in the Department of OB/GYN at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. All of the midwives are faculty members in the Department of OB/GYN.
The Division of Midwifery at Stony Brook University Hospital has been serving women and families since 1996. From a staff of one, we have grown to a complement of 16 midwives, and are growing still! Our philosophy is to place the needs and desires of women first, while maintaining a safe environment in which to birth or to receive other women’s health care services.
Certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives must graduate from an accredited education program and pass a rigorous certification exam. Because of the high standards established for education and certification, CNMs are licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. We are experts, held to the rigorous standards of practice set by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) and by state licensing organizations. We attend continuing education programs offered by hospitals, universities, and ACNM. We are highly skilled professionals who work independent of, as well as collaboratively, with physicians. Midwives also maintain licensure to write prescriptions. Midwives have admitting and discharge privileges at hospitals and are members of the Medical Board.
Your pregnancy care…
We strive to provide individualized high quality care and to support your inherent ability to give birth in the manner in which you choose, while maintaining a safe environment for you and your baby.The midwives support a woman’s right to choose VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean), vaginal twin birth, expectant management of labor, and the use of alternative modalities throughout pregnancy under the guidance of experienced licensed practitioners, such as acupuncture, chiropracty, massage therapy, physical therapy, etc. We are committed to providing you with comprehensive prenatal care that addresses your physical, social, spiritual and emotional needs and desires. We provide continuous labor support during this most intimate life experience, whether you choose to labor naturally or with the assistance of epidural anesthesia. The midwives can also order pain and other medications as needed. By offering a variety of options in which to birth, we minimize the need for unnecessary interventions.
Other high-quality services offered by the Midwives…
- A complete family and personal medical history, and give you a thorough and gentle examination
- Birth control counseling, prescriptions and follow-up examinations, including IUD placement
- Preconception counseling, prenatal care, labor and delivery, and postpartum care
- CenteringPregnancy® which includes collaborative learning and social support in a group setting with patients and their partners.
- Provide labor support and work with Doulas at your request
- If a c-section is needed, the midwife will transfer care to the physician team to perform the surgery, but we remain present to support you and your family during the process
- Repair most common types of vaginal tears
- Order pain medications, including narcotics, nitrous oxide (otherwise known as laughing gas or sweetair), and arrange for an epidural administered by our anesthesiology team
- Assist with breastfeeding and lactation medicine
- Provide normal well-woman gynecology services, and some specialized services such as colposcopy and endometrial biopsy
- Care for adolescents, women of childbearing age and women during menopausal years
- Provide primary health care to women with emphasis in health promotion
You will be encouraged to ask questions and be given plenty of time for answers. Midwives will teach you how to maintain good health habits and self-care practices that aid in disease prevention. Midwives can prescribe medications including methods of contraception and treatment for common infections.
Should you develop a medical condition that needs more specialized treatment, you will be referred to an obstetrician/gynecologist, maternal/fetal medicine specialist, or other specialist as needed. Years of experience and continued education enable our midwives to provide a compassionate yet professional approach to all aspects of women's healthcare.