What Midwifery Co-Care Means

Midwifery co-care is a collaborative model that blends the personalized, holistic support of a midwife with the medical safety of hospital birth. It allows families to benefit from midwifery care before and after labor while still delivering their baby in a hospital setting with their OB/GYN.

In this model, the midwife typically doesn’t attend the hospital birth but remains involved through:

Extended prenatal visits
On-call clinical support
Postpartum healing care
Virtual or in-person check-ins

A doula is often present at the hospital for hands-on labor support, while the midwife remains available to answer questions and help guide decision-making. Together, they form a "circle of support" around the birthing family.

A heartwarming example of family-centered midwifery care

Why Midwifery Co-Care Matters

Hospital births are often fast-paced and medically focused, which can leave families feeling disconnected from the experience. Midwives are not doctors, and they are not trying to replace your OB — they enhance your experience with personalized support, education, and advocacy.

Midwifery co-care can help you:

Feel seen, heard, and respected throughout your pregnancy
Prepare for your birth with confidence and clarity
Get emotional and clinical postpartum support that hospitals often can’t offer
Reduce the likelihood of unneeded interventions
Thrive during pregnancy through holistic guidance on things like nutrition, anemia, hypertension, and gestational diabetes
Stay out of the ER or urgent care by having a trusted professional to contact with newborn or postpartum concerns

Imagine being able to call your midwife and ask, “Is this normal?” and getting a calm, experienced answer.

How Midwives Fill the Gaps in Conventional Care

Midwives are licensed healthcare providers trained in both clinical and holistic modalities. They often provide:

Routine prenatal care
Lab work and screenings
Nutrition counseling
Herbal remedies and body literacy
Emotional and mental health support

Midwives are not nurses or surgeons, and they don’t perform C-sections. But they are the experts in physiological birth, body awareness, and whole-person care.

Unlike traditional medical settings, midwives often spend 60+ minutes per visit, getting to know your values, stressors, and goals. This deep connection improves outcomes and helps families feel empowered.

Midwife Allison Tartari gently listens to a baby’s heartbeat during a quiet, tender moment with an expectant mother. A beautiful moment of compassionate, heart-centered prenatal care.

Co-Care Through Pregnancy Loss or Cesarean Birth

Midwifery co-care is especially powerful for families navigating loss or cesarean birth. Whether you’re processing a miscarriage, preparing for a planned C-section, or healing from birth trauma, a midwife can:

Provide grief and trauma-informed support
Help you emotionally and physically prepare for surgery
Create a birth plan that reflects your values
Support you in recovery and bonding with your baby

Even when midwives don’t deliver the baby, their presence and guidance can be life-changing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is midwifery?
Midwifery focuses on supporting women through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with personalized, holistic care. Midwives provide prenatal visits, postpartum healing, health education, and emotional support — all grounded in respect for natural birth and your individual choices.

Is a midwife a doctor?

No, midwives are not doctors. They are licensed professionals trained in pregnancy and birth. In hospital settings, midwives work alongside OB/GYNs, who are medical doctors specializing in high-risk and surgical care.

Is a midwife a nurse?

Some midwives are nurses (called Certified Nurse Midwives or CNMs), while others are not. Allison Tartari is a Licensed Midwife and a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), which means she is not a nurse, but is licensed to provide comprehensive care in out-of-hospital settings.

Can a midwife prescribe medications?

Licensed midwives in California can order lab tests, screenings, and some medications. They also offer holistic support, including herbs and supplements. They cannot prescribe all medications like an OB can, but they often collaborate with doctors when needed.

Do midwives deliver babies in hospitals?

Typically, no. In California, Licensed Midwives like Allison attend births at home or in birth centers. They do not have hospital privileges but can collaborate with hospital teams. If you’re planning a hospital birth, a midwifery co-care model ensures you still benefit from personalized midwifery care before and after the birth.

Why midwife is called midwife?

Because the word has historically meant “being with woman.” The term emphasizes presence, care, and support, rather than intervention. Midwives honor your body’s wisdom and walk beside you — not ahead of you — in the birth journey.

Final Thoughts

Midwifery co-care bridges the gap between clinical safety and heart-centered support. It’s a model rooted in compassion, empowerment, and holistic wellness — whether you're planning a hospital birth, preparing for a C-section, or seeking healing after loss. In a world where maternal care can feel rushed and impersonal, this model offers a grounded, personal approach that honors your voice and values every step of the way.

Your birth experience matters.
Connect with a midwife who will listen, advocate, and walk with you every step of the way.

Click here to schedule your free initial conversation today.