Welcoming Certified Nurse-Midwife Glenna Spears -
a woman-centered approach to healthcare

Prairie du Sac, Wis. -Committed to delivering the most personal care possible, Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital & Clinics recently welcomed Certified Nurse-Midwife Glenna Spears. With more than 20 years of nursing and midwifery experience, Spears works in concert with women to provide personal care extending from adolescence to pregnancy, birth and beyond.

"A midwife works to form a relationship with a patient and her family," says Dr. Todd Schad, an obstetrician/gynecologist who works closely with Spears at Prairie Clinic in Sauk City, Wis. "This is not only limited to obstetric care, but also gynecologic care before and after delivery. She can help with pre-conception counseling and family planning, as well as menopausal management."

Spears, like all certified nurse-midwives (CNM), is a licensed health care practitioner educated in the two disciplines of nursing and midwifery. She is a registered nurse with the Wisconsin State Board of Nursing and holds midwifery certification from the American Council of Nurse-Midwives Certification Council, Inc. Prior to coming to Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital & Clinics, Spears served 21 years as a nurse practitioner and certified nurse-midwife in the U.S. Army, where she delivered more than 350 newborns.

"My goal is to empower women to be active participants in their healthcare decisions," said Spears, who has helped hundreds follow a "natural" path to pregnancy and delivery. "In pregnancy, I try to educate women and give them choices about pregnancy and delivery.

In the United States, nurse-midwifery is growing in demand. Deliveries attended by a midwife grew from around 3.2 percent in 1989 to 7.6 percent in 2002, according to the National Center of Health Statistics. With Cesarean sections now accounting for nearly 30 percent of all births, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Spears said a growing number of mothers are investigating nurse-midwifery. Midwives, in general, reduce the incidence of epidurals, episiotomies and Cesarean sections. Today, 98 percent of midwives operate out of area hospitals. Only around two percent provide care for at-home deliveries, said Spears.

Having a well-equipped and staffed hospital as a backdrop to delivery, according to Spears, is key to ensuring a safe delivery. That's why Spears delivers babies at Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital while working closely with an obstetrician and family practice physicians. In the event complications occur in pregnancy or delivery, Spears can consult with, or co-manage the care of a patient alongside an obstetrician.

"We rely on each other to obtain a safe and happy delivery of infants," said Schad of his working partnership with Spears. "If the labor is uneventful, she likely will not need any assistance. But, if there are any concerns, then we will work together to provide the optimal care for the patient."

Discovering how a woman feels about pregnancy, labor and delivery is important to Spears. "I always tell women, 'you tell me what would be your ideal birth experience,'" said Spears. "We discuss safety issues and come to a compromise. I want to really know what women want and agree on a plan that we know is safe for mom and baby. Then we go forward with that experience."

But that's not to say that women cannot request pain medications during labor, said Spears. Rather, those options are available through a CNM. Spears can prescribe medications, including pain-relieving epidurals, and order tests, including ultrasounds, just like a physician. Her goal, she attests, is to help women realize the pregnancy, labor and delivery they desire. To that end, Spears is on-hand at the hospital during a patient's entire labor and delivery, offering assistance and support.

"Midwives are known for taking time with patients and empowering them in their healthcare decisions," said Schad.

"I really like trying to get the whole family involved in the pregnancy," added Spears. "I love it when children come to the appointments. It's always fun to let them be as much part of the appointment as they can. They often help measure mom's tummy and put gel on the tummy to hear the baby's heartbeat."

"Women have an inner ability to take care of themselves and their families," she said. "It's important as a midwife to listen to them."

The 13-physician Prairie Clinic is staffed with board-certified physicians and physician assistants specializing in family practice, internal medicine and obstetrics/gynecology. To enable women to get specialized obstetrics and gynecology care close to home, Prairie Clinic has a cooperative arrangement with Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital & Clinics in which Spears and Schad also see patients at Lodi Medical Clinic, River Valley Medical Clinic and Black Earth Medical Clinic. To schedule an appointment with Spears or Dr. Schad, contact Prairie Clinic at 608-643-3351.