Midwives on the Rise in Montana

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By Arianna Bennett

Story Published: Mar 6, 2010 at 11:15 PM MST

Story Updated: Mar 7, 2010 at 3:16 PM MST

BILLINGS - It is one of the world's oldest professions, and it is seeing a surge in popularity in Montana and Wyoming. The demand for local midwives keeps going up despite working in the age of medical technology.

Billings midwife Pat Schwaiger has brought more than seven hundred babies into the world. She runs Mountain Midwives, a center for pregnant women who want their babies born at home.

"Women want to be in control of their own birth experience," Schwaiger said. "They want to be making the decisions. They enjoy the privacy and comfort of their own homes."

Schwaiger runs a midwife school out of the center. Right now she has two students who assist her in deliveries to gain experience and certification.

In Montana, the home birth trend is on the rise. It is one of the top two states in the country for non-hospital births.

"I think the spirit of Montana is one of independence," Schwaiger said, "and people feeling free to express themselves and to live in their own lifestyle, and home birth fits with that outlook."

The trend is catching on in Wyoming too. The state used to required midwives to practice in the presence of a doctor. On Friday, Governor Dave Freudenthal signed a bill into law allowing midwives to practice alone.

Schwaiger is the only certified midwife still practicing in Billings and said she has delivered several babies for families in Wyoming as well. To her, the difficulties are worth it when she sees a newborn for the first time.

"Watching the baby turn pink, when they first come out, and they open their eyes and they breathe. It's wonderful," Schwaiger said.

Schwaiger said she's definitely seen an increase in interest. In the last year she has gone from about 4 deliveries a month to 5-or-6 deliveries. Schwaiger is one of about a dozen midwives currently practicing across Montana.

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