Modern Ob/Gyn Midwifery: Modern Care the Old Fashioned Way

Personal and compassionate care have been the guiding principles that lead Modern Obstetrics & Gynecology of North Atlanta, P.C., (Modern OB/GYN) to provide the highest level of service to their patients. Since October 2010, the obstetrics and gynecology healthcare professionals ensembled by founders Dr. John and Dr. Ingrid Reyes have delivered outstanding care to their patients.

"Our goal has always been to bring the best care to women of all ages, in an environment that is comfortable and open, where candid conversations can take place, and everyone feels appreciated, listened to, and cared for, as an individual, Dr. Ingrid explained.

The practice has grown to meet and exceed the expectations of a growing community.

"To date, we are honored to have a team of seven physicians and six midwives to serve our patients," added Dr. John. "We have three offices where we see patients of all ages. Our services range from routine check-ups to comprehensive gynecological services, including minimally-invasive surgery and complete prenatal care."

Call the Midwife

Midwifery, the care of women in pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period that often also includes care of the newborn, is not new. The resurgence of midwifery can be traced back to the start of the 21st century. A collaborative relationship between doctors and midwives has led the way to a broader approach to the care of women before, during and after childbirth.

“Our practice is dedicated to providing well-rounded, patient- centered and personal obstetric care,” stated Dr. John. “It’s  nice to be able to give our patients the opportunity to choose between a midwife or an obstetrician. The best part – we all work together to ensure the best care for our patients.”

“Expectant mothers can rest assured that with our intimate, team- based approach to obstetrics, they will be cared for by physicians and midwives familiar with their personal story, and treated with confidence and comfort at the time of delivery,” Dr. Ingrid added.

The team of midwives at Modern Obstetrics & Gynecology of North Atlanta, P.C., (Modern OB/GYN) are Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM). Each midwife is a highly-trained provider who works in partnership with physician care to provide patients with the best combination of education, empathy, low-intervention, and high-touch care along with the technology of intervention when necessary or desired.

This model of care highly values the role of education, partnership in care, personal autonomy, and shared decision-making, all of which are paramount at Modern OB/GYN.

Midwifery Explained

The care and passion for their work is instantly noticeable when one meets the Modern OBGYN midwives. They are caring, professional and dedicated to their patients.

"The experience of my own pregnancy and the care I received at that pivotal time in my life made me fall in love with care of pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. It made me realize being a nurse-midwife was my ideal career role,” stated Nuria Nelkin, CNM, when asked why she chose to become a midwife.

“The knowledge that we are playing a big part in the growth and transition of families is a huge motivation. Being in a position to educate and aid mothers and families to have the healthiest start is truly a privilege,” Nelkin added.“For as long as babies have been born midwives have been there delivering them," Emily Dixon, MSN, CNM, FNP explained. “Pregnancy and birth are often treated as a pathological process through the medical model but in the midwifery model we treat it as a normal, physiological process. This means we use evidence-based practices and advocate for non-interventions in the absence of complications. We are trained and are able to recognize complications or problems and work directly with our physicians to respond to those situations. The presence and use of midwives help reduce rates of C-sections and maternal mortality and increase rates of breastfeeding.”

The passion for their profession is evident.

“Midwifery is extremely rewarding. We are in such a unique position to make a significant impact on a woman’s experience during one of life’s biggest transitions,” stated Cecelia Brown, CNM, WHNP. “Knowing that we can provide a safe, but also empowering environment for people is a great feeling. It is very satisfying to see a mother-baby bond starting off on the right foot, and to be a part of that is a wonderful gift.”

Mimi Song, CNM, agreed. “I always wanted my career to use the knowledge I gained to help other people. When I finally found nursing, I knew that it was the field for me.”

“I have always been fascinated by the woman’s body and the changes that happen during pregnancy. As a labor and delivery nurse, I got to work with amazing midwives who were patient, kind, caring, and knowledgeable. They set an example for me and guided me to follow in their footsteps. As a midwife, I feel honored and blessed to work alongside women in every life stage from puberty and childbirth to menopause," Song added.

Midwives are often not known for the work they do.

“On my first date with my now husband, I told him I was a nurse midwife. We talked about my job and he seemed to understand the whole time. All the smiles and nods. The next day, he asked his grandmother what a midwife was,” recalled Liz Coleman, CNM, FNP-C.

“Being a nurse midwife is an emotional, fast-paced, stressful job. It brings the highest of highs and the lowest of lows,” Coleman added. “Obstetrics and childbirth is not always happy, but the pure joy I see on  a mother’s face when she sees her newborn child for the first time or the tear I see stream down a father’s face as he kisses his partner’s forehead just after she gives that last push keeps me moving forward. I honestly believe that pregnancy and childbirth are the greatest miracle in the world. It absolutely never gets old.”

“I am often asked at a patient’s very first pregnancy visit, “what’s the difference between a midwife and a doctor, and what does that mean for our care here?” Melanie Steen, CNM, FNP-C recalled. “I take this opportunity to do a little educating on the profession and assure them they will get wonderful, very thorough care from all their providers at Modern OB/GYN.”

Education is valuable. “I explain to them that certified nurse midwives are masters prepared nurses who specialize in women’s health, pregnancy, birth, and initial newborn care. Most people are more familiar with nurse practitioners, so I describe us as “the nurse practitioners of the OBGYN world.”

Midwives focus on normal and and low-risk pregnancies, taking pride in their low-intervention approach to care.

Steen added, “We are educated in a way to recognize abnormal/higher risk situations and the need to elevate care to the next level; therefore, we are independent providers who collaborate with physicians on an as-needed basis. At Modern OBGYN, the care midwives provide for women include annual visits, contraception management, preconception counseling, all prenatal care, labor, and birth managementin the hospital, as well as postpartum care.”

Modern Ob/Gyn Midwifery: Modern Care the Old Fashioned Way