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More and more women are choosing to place their prenatal care, labor and delivery in the hands of a midwife — usually in a hospital and not at home. Over 7,000 midwives practice in the U.S. and participate in 10 percent of births. UCSF was in the forefront and has a 30-year tradition of including midwives as an important part of the obstetrical team, where they provide care for pregnant women, attend births and teach as part of the faculty.

How is a midwife different from an obstetrician? Certified nurse-midwives are registered nurses with additional graduate training in midwifery. They're specialists whose professional philosophy focuses on providing pregnant women accessible, dignified care, emphasizing choices, minimizing medical interventions without sacrificing cutting-edge medical care.

While doctors have to budget time to deal with pregnancy complications, midwives have the luxury of spending time on a broad spectrum of normal concerns that pregnant families have. At each prenatal visit, their goal is to discuss whatever is on a woman's mind — from birth plans to choosing a car seat.

At UCSF, midwives and doctors work together in an integrated practice. This means that if a pregnancy becomes high-risk or complications arise, the woman will not have to abandon her midwife and transfer to a different office. She can continue to see her midwife for ongoing support and an obstetrician or perinatologist for management of the complications in the same practice. Working together provides women with the best of both worlds.

A common misconception about midwives is that women only choose one if they want a "natural" or unmedicated childbirth. Although assisting in natural childbirth continues to be one of the strengths of midwives, their primary concern is that women feel supported in their choices.

Midwives are trained to see childbirth as a normal, healthy event. They favor avoiding procedures and medical interventions whenever possible, which has resulted in positive effects on the culture of labor and delivery at UCSF. For instance, episiotomies (a cut between the vagina and the rectum), which used to be standard, now occur in only 5 percent of births at UCSF. This shift was due in part to the influence of midwives in the practice and the open minds of doctors who work with them.

UCSF has three fulltime midwives in the Faculty Obstetrics and Gynecology Group (FOGG): Judith Bishop, Suzanne Seger and Sharon Wiener. To talk with one of the midwives or to make an appointment, call (415) 353-2566.

Pregnant women are seen in three office sites:

400 Parnassus Ave.
Plaza Level
San Francisco, CA 94143

2356 Sutter St.
San Francisco, CA 94115

333 Gellert Blvd., Suite 120
Daly City, CA 94015