WESLACO – Many Rio Grande Valley midwives want to speak about the process of registering newborn children. Practicing midwives now follow stricter guidelines.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS spoke to a midwife who said the process in which modern day midwives register a newborn is very similar to the process of a traditional hospital.

Denise Prado is expecting her third child. She said she’s roughly 28 weeks pregnant. Prado told CHANNEL 5 NEWS she’s interested in having her child in a non-traditional way.

“A hospital can sometimes be cold, and uncomfortable and overwhelming for a lot of women who want to have their babies,” Prado explained.

So we headed to Holy Family Birth Center in Weslaco to learn a little bit about the midwife birthing process.

“You’re part of like a very intimate moment of their family, their family life and the conception of their family,” Gina Cardona said.

Cardona is a certified nurse, midwife and the clinical director of the center. She told CHANNEL 5 NEWS she’s played a role in roughly 1,000 births. Cardona explained today the process in which a midwife registers a newborn is regulated by the state.

“The nurse at the birth has them fill out a sheet called the birth certificate worksheet. It has a bunch of questions regarding both parents,” Cardona explained.

Cardona said once the sheet is filled out the nurse then inputs the information into the Texas Electronic Register.

She explained then the information is printed for the parents to review. Cardona said that information must be certified and sent to the state within 10 days.

“They sign that then somebody here who is able to certify that birth certificate, presses a bottom on the Texas electronic register and certifies it,” Cardona told CHANNEL 5 NEWS.

Cardona explained four to six weeks later the parents are able to pick up the birth certificate from a local justice of the peace.

Prado said she’s decided to use a midwife for the birth of her child. She’s looking forward to meeting her new baby girl.

Cardona told CHANNEL 5 NEWS the person who certifies the information that certificate on the Texas Electronic Register must be preapproved and certified by the state.

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