On Sunday, April 24th at 2 pm, Regional Medical Center (RMC) invites the community to attend a free “Meet the Midwife” special event at the Women’s & Children’s Pavilion. The event will include tours of RMC’s fully-equipped natural birthing labor rooms and attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the benefits of midwifery and meet Sara Hellwege, CNM, who joins Joshua Johannson, M.D. at Cheaha Women’s Health & Wellness. Afternoon refreshments will be served for all in attendance.
Nurse-midwifery was first established in America in the 1920s. Since that time, certified nurse midwives (CNMs) have been recognized for their contributions in reducing infant and maternal mortality, premature births and low birth weight rates. Numerous studies have been completed and reports released that document the success of certified nurse-midwives in their quest to improve maternal-child health.
RMC in Anniston was recently awarded the Blue Distinction® Center for Maternity Care designation by Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) of Alabama. RMC is also the first designated baby-friendly hospital in Alabama. As the first designated baby-friendly hospital in Alabama, physicians and maternity staff at RMC take extra steps to provide the most baby-friendly environment for families including: immediate skin-to-skin contact with mom and her newborn right after birth, a fully-certified lactation program to encourage breastfeeding on-demand and assist new mothers with breastfeeding support throughout their stay and following discharge. Physicians, clinical teams and nurse midwives encourage low-intervention, customized birthing plans that include water labor, family-centered cesareans with clear draping to fully view a cesarean birth and promote V-BAC births when safe for mom and baby.
Raised in Anniston, RMC’s ‘Meet the Midwife’ guest of honor, Sara Hellwege, CNM, said she is thrilled to return home to fulfill her dream of practicing midwifery and offer additional obstetrical options to the women of Alabama at Cheaha Women’s Health & Wellness.
“Growing up, I knew I wanted to be involved in a healthcare vocation, but after witnessing the miracle of birth, I was called towards nurse-midwifery,” she said. “During my graduate clinical training I was fortunate to have trained under CNMs who specialized in hydrotherapy and movement during labor, as well as using ancillary personnel such as chiropractors, acupuncturists, nutritionists, massage therapists, and doulas to obtain the desired experience for our clients. I look forward to being a partner alongside women and their families in the Anniston community so that they may feel loved and empowered in their choice for a low-intervention, natural birthing experience.”
In 2014, Hellwege earned a Master’s of Science in Nursing degree from Frontier Nursing University, and graduated Cum Laude from Samford University in 2009. She is board-certified from the American Midwifery Certification Board and licensed as an RN and CNM by the state of Alabama Board of Nursing.
For more information or to register for the “Meet the Midwife” event on Sunday, April 24, 2016 at 2 pm, please RSVP to cheahamidwife@gmail.com.