Empowering Care for Women of all Ages: Certified Nurse Midwives Can Provide Personalized Care for all Stages of Life
Midwifery is often most strongly associated with birth, and it indeed provides patients with a personalized, supportive approach for pregnancy and labor & delivery. However, certified nurse midwives can also provide regular well-woman care for patients at all stages of life.
Featuring:
Learn more about Davin Johnson, MSN, CNM
Davin Johnson, MSN, CNM
Davin Johnson, MSN, CNM is a certified nurse-midwife at Regional One Health’s Hollywood Clinic. Davin earned her Master of Science in Nursing degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.Learn more about Davin Johnson, MSN, CNM
Transcription:
Amanda Wilde (Host): One-on-One with Regional One Health is your inside look at how we're building healthier tomorrows for our patients and our community. Join us for expert insight that empowers you to achieve a lifetime of better health.
Today's certified nurse midwife, Davin Johnson, shares how midwifery can be a great option for women of all ages and stages of life. Welcome, Davin. It's great to have you here.
Davin Johnson: Thank you for having me. Good morning.
Amanda Wilde (Host): You know, when most people think about midwifery, I think the first thought is natural childbirth without pain medication. But actually, there is a bit more to what you do. So tell us really what your pregnant patients can expect for prenatal and labor and delivery in their experience with you.
Davin Johnson: Yes. I think the main three things people think of when they hear midwifery is pregnant people, home births and no pain medication. And none of those three automatically apply to certified nurse midwives. So we take care of well-women throughout the lifespan from menarche to menopause, so from first period to last period and beyond. We provide gynecological services, STI testing, contraception, as well as prenatal care. The midwives at Regional One, of course, deliver at Regional One Inpatient on our Labor and Delivery Unit. And we work with the same CRNAs and anesthesiologists that our OB-GYN physicians work with to get our patients epidurals if desired. We can prescribe, so they can get IV medication prescribed by us if desired. So you don't have to be pregnant to see a midwife. You don't have to deliver at home to see a midwife. And you don't have to go without pain medication, even though we support both options.
Amanda Wilde (Host): So why would you go to see a certified nurse midwife versus another kind of birth or woman care specialist?
Davin Johnson: So midwives are experts in well-women and normal pregnancy and low-risk, low-intervention deliveries. We absolutely need our OB-GYN physicians. There are some patients who would have to see an OB-GYN physician and would not be a good candidate for midwifery care. But for those patients that are good candidates for midwifery care, they get more personalized care. We generally have more time to spend with our patients. We know our patients a little better. We're less likely to employ interventions that aren't necessary where, while they're the expert in certain complications, we're the experts in physiologic and normal healthy birth outcomes, even though they have very good healthy outcomes as well.
We recognize complications when they occur, and we decide complications that we can manage versus complications that require either physician co-management or transfer to physician. So they're still getting safe, effective care under both circumstances. Midwifery care is more tailored to women of lower risk, women who want lower intervention and who want more personalized support.
Amanda Wilde (Host): And then, it sounds like your practice really puts an emphasis on building relationships with patients, especially because, as you say, you offer care from first period to last period. Does that help you provide better care and improve patient's health?
Davin Johnson: I feel like it absolutely does. I like to tell my patients that while we're the experts in healthcare, you're the experts on you. And the better we know them, the more comfortable we are, the more comfortable they are speaking with us, then the more detailed information we get, things that patient may not realize is important. They're more likely to share. We may know like socioeconomic factors that can affect birth outcomes, barriers to getting access to care. We can tailor plans to their needs, their abilities. And so we've seen some of the same patients for annuals and for birth control that we've seen for prenatal care and on labor and delivery postpartum. Some of those patients have brought their family or their children to us. And so just that knowing the whole patient, not just their health history sometimes, but their socioeconomic history, helps us tailor their care to them and helps them feel safe and feel comfortable sharing things that sometimes patients are tempted to withhold if they feel uncomfortable.
Amanda Wilde (Host): So yeah, I can see where that would really improve the whole healthcare experience and get you more information too when something isn't right. How long have you been practicing? And do you have patients that you're growing old with?
Davin Johnson: Ooh, growing old. So I've been a midwife for a little over 10 years. I've been with Regional One for right at seven. So I have patients that I have seen when they were like a teenager and now they're having their first child. Or we've had numerous patients come to us for multiple pregnancies. I can actually think of one patient in particular that came to us for multiple pregnancies and then, her oldest daughter came to us, actually a couple patients under those circumstances. And then, sometimes I run into when they're with a family member who's coming to see us. And they're like, "Oh, look. Look at this baby you delivered. And they're now five." And it's like unbelievable that it seems like just yesterday I was seeing you and I was at your delivery and now it's your little sister or your cousin that you're bringing to us for care and you're updating us on how your life is going or you're coming back to us just for birth control a well-woman.
Amanda Wilde (Host): Yeah. I mean, mothers bringing their daughters to you, like you said, from first period to last. It's amazing the comprehensive care you give. That's why I asked if you were aging along with anyone, because in your practice, like you said, you're going to keep coming around to some of the same people. It just sounds so much like certified nurse midwives can provide such personalized care for all stages of life.
Davin Johnson: That is definitely our goal, to make you feel heard and seen. We want our patients to be partners in their care.
Amanda Wilde (Host): Well, thank you, Davin, for this detailed overview on the midwifery services at Regional One Health. Appreciate it.
Davin Johnson: Thank you for having me.
Amanda Wilde (Host): Regional One Health's certified nurse midwives see patients in two locations. For Kirby Primary Care called 901-515-5350 and for Hollywood Primary Care call 901-545-6969. You can also learn more at www.regionalonehealth.org/midwifery.
Thanks for making One-on-One with Regional One Health part of your journey to better health. Join us next time as we cover another topic to keep you on the path to a healthier tomorrow. Until then, be well.
Amanda Wilde (Host): One-on-One with Regional One Health is your inside look at how we're building healthier tomorrows for our patients and our community. Join us for expert insight that empowers you to achieve a lifetime of better health.
Today's certified nurse midwife, Davin Johnson, shares how midwifery can be a great option for women of all ages and stages of life. Welcome, Davin. It's great to have you here.
Davin Johnson: Thank you for having me. Good morning.
Amanda Wilde (Host): You know, when most people think about midwifery, I think the first thought is natural childbirth without pain medication. But actually, there is a bit more to what you do. So tell us really what your pregnant patients can expect for prenatal and labor and delivery in their experience with you.
Davin Johnson: Yes. I think the main three things people think of when they hear midwifery is pregnant people, home births and no pain medication. And none of those three automatically apply to certified nurse midwives. So we take care of well-women throughout the lifespan from menarche to menopause, so from first period to last period and beyond. We provide gynecological services, STI testing, contraception, as well as prenatal care. The midwives at Regional One, of course, deliver at Regional One Inpatient on our Labor and Delivery Unit. And we work with the same CRNAs and anesthesiologists that our OB-GYN physicians work with to get our patients epidurals if desired. We can prescribe, so they can get IV medication prescribed by us if desired. So you don't have to be pregnant to see a midwife. You don't have to deliver at home to see a midwife. And you don't have to go without pain medication, even though we support both options.
Amanda Wilde (Host): So why would you go to see a certified nurse midwife versus another kind of birth or woman care specialist?
Davin Johnson: So midwives are experts in well-women and normal pregnancy and low-risk, low-intervention deliveries. We absolutely need our OB-GYN physicians. There are some patients who would have to see an OB-GYN physician and would not be a good candidate for midwifery care. But for those patients that are good candidates for midwifery care, they get more personalized care. We generally have more time to spend with our patients. We know our patients a little better. We're less likely to employ interventions that aren't necessary where, while they're the expert in certain complications, we're the experts in physiologic and normal healthy birth outcomes, even though they have very good healthy outcomes as well.
We recognize complications when they occur, and we decide complications that we can manage versus complications that require either physician co-management or transfer to physician. So they're still getting safe, effective care under both circumstances. Midwifery care is more tailored to women of lower risk, women who want lower intervention and who want more personalized support.
Amanda Wilde (Host): And then, it sounds like your practice really puts an emphasis on building relationships with patients, especially because, as you say, you offer care from first period to last period. Does that help you provide better care and improve patient's health?
Davin Johnson: I feel like it absolutely does. I like to tell my patients that while we're the experts in healthcare, you're the experts on you. And the better we know them, the more comfortable we are, the more comfortable they are speaking with us, then the more detailed information we get, things that patient may not realize is important. They're more likely to share. We may know like socioeconomic factors that can affect birth outcomes, barriers to getting access to care. We can tailor plans to their needs, their abilities. And so we've seen some of the same patients for annuals and for birth control that we've seen for prenatal care and on labor and delivery postpartum. Some of those patients have brought their family or their children to us. And so just that knowing the whole patient, not just their health history sometimes, but their socioeconomic history, helps us tailor their care to them and helps them feel safe and feel comfortable sharing things that sometimes patients are tempted to withhold if they feel uncomfortable.
Amanda Wilde (Host): So yeah, I can see where that would really improve the whole healthcare experience and get you more information too when something isn't right. How long have you been practicing? And do you have patients that you're growing old with?
Davin Johnson: Ooh, growing old. So I've been a midwife for a little over 10 years. I've been with Regional One for right at seven. So I have patients that I have seen when they were like a teenager and now they're having their first child. Or we've had numerous patients come to us for multiple pregnancies. I can actually think of one patient in particular that came to us for multiple pregnancies and then, her oldest daughter came to us, actually a couple patients under those circumstances. And then, sometimes I run into when they're with a family member who's coming to see us. And they're like, "Oh, look. Look at this baby you delivered. And they're now five." And it's like unbelievable that it seems like just yesterday I was seeing you and I was at your delivery and now it's your little sister or your cousin that you're bringing to us for care and you're updating us on how your life is going or you're coming back to us just for birth control a well-woman.
Amanda Wilde (Host): Yeah. I mean, mothers bringing their daughters to you, like you said, from first period to last. It's amazing the comprehensive care you give. That's why I asked if you were aging along with anyone, because in your practice, like you said, you're going to keep coming around to some of the same people. It just sounds so much like certified nurse midwives can provide such personalized care for all stages of life.
Davin Johnson: That is definitely our goal, to make you feel heard and seen. We want our patients to be partners in their care.
Amanda Wilde (Host): Well, thank you, Davin, for this detailed overview on the midwifery services at Regional One Health. Appreciate it.
Davin Johnson: Thank you for having me.
Amanda Wilde (Host): Regional One Health's certified nurse midwives see patients in two locations. For Kirby Primary Care called 901-515-5350 and for Hollywood Primary Care call 901-545-6969. You can also learn more at www.regionalonehealth.org/midwifery.
Thanks for making One-on-One with Regional One Health part of your journey to better health. Join us next time as we cover another topic to keep you on the path to a healthier tomorrow. Until then, be well.