Midwife Nuns

[ToJesusMyHeart]

Is there an order of nuns that do midwifery and/or doula-ing?

 

Not the Anglican ones on Call the Midwife. ;)

[Cherie]

I have never found or heard of any; not in this country, at least ... but my goodness, doesn't that sound like a beautiful apostolate? Maybe I'm biased as a mother, but I can't tell you how wonderful it would have been for me to deliver my children into the arms of a Sister, or to have labor support from a consecrated religious!

[brandelynmarie]

I once read an article or a book about a School Sister of Notre Dame who was a mid-wife in Texas. :) Her name was Sister Marcella Garcia....

[ToJesusMyHeart]

I'm sure there are nuns who are mid-wives, but I'm curious if there is a specific order whose sole (or primary) work is midwifery. 

[brandelynmarie]

Wouldn't that be an amazing community to bring into being? :) I wonder if the Sisters of Life ever thought about it...

[ToJesusMyHeart]

I'm in application with them. I will bring it up next time I talk to them. 

[Gabriela]

I don't know, but that show Call the Midwife sure is awesome. ;-)

[salveregina10]

Great question!  We have many Sisters around the world who minister as midwives.  It has been one of our apostolates for quite a while, in addition to other medical, educational, and pastoral work.  If you would like to know more about us, this is our website:

Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing - http://www.osb-tutzing.it/

[Graciela]

Sr. Angela Murdaugh was a Certified Nurse Midwife who started Holy Family Birth Center in Texas decades ago.  I do not recall her community but several vowed religious who were sisters of various orders worked there in the past. There are no sisters there now but the work continues and it is a place that allows volunteer experiences too for nurses and midwives and possibly for doulas.

 

The Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (in Surrey UK) had many missionary sisters who were nurse-midwives, but also had missionary teachers (I believe).

The Medical Mission Sisters have had both physicians and nurse-midwives among their sisters and their emphasis is predominantly medical mission work. 

 

 

[Nunsuch]

So, I am new to this Phorum, and this is my first posting!

 

Did you know that, until 1936, sisters were forbidden to study to be doctors or to engage in midwifery, because it was considered a violation of the vow of chastity?  [I am not joking.] The person who "lobbied" the Vatican most actively for the change in policy was Mother Anna Dengel, foundress of the Medical Mission Sisters (she was already a doctor before the community was founded).  So, until after that, it would have been impossible for sisters to train to be midwives. I agree it is a beautiful AND appropriate ministry for them.  

 

There 

Edited September 29, 2013 by Nunsuch

[Graciela]

Welcome nunsuch!  I remember reading that about Mother Anna Dengel MD.

 

I think some  sisters today might object to the education necessary to become qualified and certified in nurse-midwifery in the USA.  The required content includes knowledge of all birth control methods and demonstrating the ability to prescribe and manage them as part of gyn care.  I cannot imagine any Sisters of Life tolerating learning about birth control pills even just to get through an education program so they could provide prenatal and childbirth care. However, I had sisters who taught me in nursing and midwifery school so they had successfully completed the education and certification and were pioneers in providing care to poor women,babies and families.

Edited September 29, 2013 by Graciela

[Nunsuch]

I wonder if there are Catholic medical schools that would not require training in birth control?  Of course, simply knowing the technology and medical details is not the same thing as advocating the use of birth control. And it might be argued that knowing the technology and science might make them more knowledgeable and effective advocates for opposing their use.

[Gabriela]

I wonder if there are Catholic medical schools that would not require training in birth control?  Of course, simply knowing the technology and medical details is not the same thing as advocating the use of birth control. And it might be argued that knowing the technology and science might make them more knowledgeable and effective advocates for opposing their use.

 

:welcome:

[maximillion]

There is stuff taught as part of nurse training that goes against church teaching, and while to get your qualification you need to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of such, there is no requirement to engage with these practices. The same can be said for midwifery.

 

 

In addition, my understanding of the SOL is that they undertake care of pregnant women both ante and post natal.....some of them must be midwives.

 

There are ways around all of these things, and opt outs on grounds of religious objection are available.

[Antigonos]

As a certified nurse midwife myself, I have got to say that while I would expect that some nursing sisters might work in maternity care, I think there would be multiple conflicts of interest for them to be midwives completely and for them to adhere to Church teaching entirely. Certainly I cannot imagine any medical school actually not teaching particular subjects and yet having its graduates be able to pass licensing exams.

AFAIK, the Church does not have the "escape clause" that Jews have: ALL religious requirements and commandments may, indeed, must, be abrogated when a life needs to be saved (pikuch nefesh). A case in point is the recent Irish case where a Catholic doctor refused a woman a lifesaving abortion and she subsequently died. There are Jewish doctors who oppose abortion ( Jewish Law does permit abortio within cerain parameters, btw, but not everyone accepts the rabbinical authority which made the ruling) but they will always find another doctor to care for the patient in such a medically urgent situation if it arises and they, in conscience, will not perform one.

Moreover, there are medical situations where a pregnancy is, without doubt, a death sentence for a woman and so contraception is essential. It would be unethical for a doctor to say either "I am choosing for you because I have religious beliefs which prohibit contraception" or "I can't prescribe for you because I never learned about contaception due to my beliefs in this matter". If the patient herself chooses, against medical advice, that is a different matter. (in fact, I had a neighbor, when I was a child, who had a kind of cancer which mandated against pregnancy because it was hormone-dependent. She and her husband, both devout Catholics, would not use contraception other than NFP; she became pregnant while getting chemotherapy; she died as the cancer's growth increased rapidly, and the baby was born with defects incompatible with life because of the chemo. The widower was left with 7 children to raise on his own. But SHE made the decsion, not a doctor)

I think there is definitely a role for religious to play in supporting women who are convalescing after birth, as well as educating women in improving their health and that of their children, in helping overburdened women to cope, and so on, but it is unrealistic to expect them to have to cope with situations that bring them into potential conflict with the Church.