Alternative birth

UNC midwifery division offers women a choice

Caitlyn Greene, Staff Writer

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Published: Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Updated: Tuesday, December 2, 2008

DTH/Caitlyn Greene

Midwife Jane Arnold talks with Nikki Lewis about her progress after 18 hours in labor.

DTH/Caitlyn Greene

After approximately 25 hours, Lewis had a Caesarean section surgery to deliver the baby.

DTH/Caitlyn Greene

Lewis delivered a baby girl named Lauren McKenzie Ridge, weighing 7 lbs. and 8 oz.

You can bake delicious bread several ways. It’s the same with a baby, said Kathy Higgins, director of the UNC Division of Midwifery.

“Whether you choose a midwife or a doctor, the outcome is essentially the same — a healthy baby,” she said. “It’s a difference in the journey.”

Midwives work as a team with physicians, who are available in case of complications.

The midwifery division provided birth care to about 500 women in the last fiscal year, Higgins said. The division grew by about 500 percent during the past six years.

Nikki Lewis’ mother suggested she use a UNC midwife after hearing good reviews about the department. Midwife Jane Arnold stayed with Lewis during 25 hours of labor. Slight complications encouraged Arnold to team up with a physician, and Lewis gave birth by Caesarean section with Arnold at her side.

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