A midwife is an expert in normal birth deliveries and is recognized worldwide as an important medical professional in providing maternity care to women.
Used in assisting childbirth for thousands of years, you will find nurse-midwives as part of maternity teams in hospitals, birthing centers, private practices and home settings.
As trained medical professionals, midwives provide care, education, counseling and support to women and newborns during their pregnancy and the postpartum period. The care they provide includes:

• monitoring the physical, psychological and social well-being of mothers throughout their childbearing period.
• providing mothers with specialized and individualized education, counseling and prenatal care.
• delivering ongoing hands-on assistance during labor and delivery as well as postpartum support.
• identifying and referring women requiring the obstetrical attention.

Important facts to know about midwives

• Certified nurse-midwives are registered nurses who have completed graduate-level training in midwifery and who have passed a national certification exam
• Nurse-midwifery practice is legal in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
• Nurse-midwives can prescribe medication in 50 states and the District of Columbia.
• Nurse-midwives practice in homes, birth centers, clinics, and hospitals.
• 33 states mandate private insurance reimbursement for nurse-midwifery services, and Medicaid reimbursement is mandatory in all states.

Our Midwives

• Irene B. Feaver, R.N., C.N.M.
• Carolyn Bradford, F.N.P., C.N.M.

da Vinci ® Surgery

Essure is a permanent birth control procedure that works with your body to create a natural barrier to prevent pregnancy. The Essure procedure offers women benefits that no other permanent birth control can.

• Surgery-free—A simple procedure performed in your doctor’s office in less than 10 minutes
• Hormone-free—A more natural birth control method
• Anesthesia-free—There’s no slowing down to recover, and most women return to normal activities in less than a day
• Worry-free—Since 2002 over half a million women and their doctors have trusted Essure as the most effective* permanent birth control

The Essure procedure
The Essure procedure was designed with women like you in mind—with no slowing down to recover—so you won’t need to take time away from your busy life. During the procedure, which takes less than 10 minutes, an Essure-certified doctor slides the small, soft inserts through the natural pathways of your vagina and cervix into your fallopian tubes, so no surgery or incision is required. The very tip of each insert remains visible to your doctor, providing immediate confirmation of proper placement. The flexible Essure inserts are made out of the same trusted, silicone-free material used in heart stents, so they bend and conform to the shape of your fallopian tubes while remaining securely in place.

Over the next three months, your body works with the Essure inserts to form a natural barrier within each of your fallopian tubes. These barriers prevent sperm from reaching the eggs so that pregnancy cannot occur. During this three-month timeframe, you must continue to use another form of birth control.

After three months, it’s time for your Essure Confirmation Test. During this simple test, a special dye is introduced into your uterus and viewed on an x-ray, so your doctor can confirm that your fallopian tubes are completely blocked and the inserts are in place. Once you receive this verification, you can rely on Essure for permanent birth control.

Like all permanent birth control procedures, including tubal ligation and vasectomy, the Essure procedure should not be considered reversible, so you should be sure you do not want to get pregnant in the future.

Essure is covered by most insurance providers and if the Essure procedure is performed in a doctor’s office, payment may be as low as your co-pay, depending on your insurance plan.

*Based on five years of clinical data.

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What is Heavy Menstrual Bleeding?
1 in 5 women suffer from heavy menstrual bleeding. Many women begin to experience heavy and/or irregular bleeding in their 30s and 40s, as they begin to get closer to menopause. Heavy periods are more than just a hassle – they take a physical, social, and emotional toll as well.
Studies show heavy menstrual bleeding can affect women in a number of ways:
Physical

• Many feel tired and nauseated
• Many experience bad cramps
• Many have headaches

Social

• More than 60% have had to miss social or athletic events1
• About 80% report avoiding sex1
• 33% have been forced to miss work2

Emotional

• 77% have depression or moodiness1
• 75% feel anxious2
• 57% report a lack of confidence during their period1

Heavy periods are not something with which you have to live. Today, there are a number of effective treatment options available.

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References
National Women’s Health Resource Center. Survey of women who experience heavy menstrual bleeding. Data on file; 2005.
Cooper J, et al. A randomized, multicenter trial of safety and efficacy of the NovaSure system in the treatment of menorrhagia. J Am Assoc Gynecol Laparosc. 2002; 9:418-428.