Pregnancy is the most wonderful phase of a woman’s journey.
There is nothing more special than bringing a new life into the world. It is indeed a blessing and to witness a beautiful blessing happen is a great opportunity for us midwives. We play a crucial role in ensuring that women and babies are supported during the natural birthing process and have access to the high-quality, patient-centered care midwifery services they deserve.
Midwives achieve great impact by providing care for women and babies—all women and babies, both with and without complications—across the continuum from pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, labor, and birth, and in the early weeks after birth. Good quality midwifery services offer a combination of prevention and support, early identification and swift treatment or referral of complications, and respectful and compassionate care for women and their families at a formative time in their lives.
Midwives work to strengthen women’s capabilities and the normal processes of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and breastfeeding.
What services do midwives provide?
Their services depend on the certification and licensing credentials obtained and the practice restrictions of each state. Because of the additional licensure in nursing, a nurse-midwife can offer the most comprehensive array of healthcare services to women.
These services include annual gynecological exams, family planning, and preconception care, prenatal care, labor and delivery support, newborn care, & menopausal management. Midwives generally provide reproductive education in fertility, nutrition, exercise, contraception, pregnancy health, breastfeeding, and quality infant care. Certified midwives and certified nurse midwives can offer the most services. Midwives who aren’t certified offer fewer services.
Some of the health services a midwife may provide include:
- Prenatal appointments and routine pregnancy monitoring.
- Ultrasounds and prenatal blood work.
- Attending to birth and newborn care.
- Postpartum care.
- Educate on nutrition, lactation, fertility, and other aspects of reproductive health.
- Birth control and family planning.
- Pap tests and breast exams.
- Screenings for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and other vaginal infections and diseases.
According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives, the benefits of receiving midwifery care include:
- Decreased risk of needing a cesarean
- Reduced rates of labor induction and augmentation
- Reduced use of regional anesthesia
- Decreased infant mortality rates
- Decreased risk of preterm birth
- Decreased third- and fourth-degree perineal tears
- Lower costs for both clients and insurers
- Increased chances of having a positive start to breastfeeding
- Increased satisfaction with the quality of care
A certified nurse midwife can practice at hospitals, clinics, birth centers, or your home. Midwives who are not certified are limited in where they can practice. It’s best to ask your midwife what credentials they have and ask your hospital or birth center what the regulations are for midwife care.
If you happen to decide to pursue midwifery, make sure to understand the different types of midwives. Each differs in qualifications, licensing, and scope of practice. Understanding this better will help you in your path to midwifery.
- Certified nurse midwives (CNMs): CNMs have completed nursing school and have a graduate degree in midwifery. In addition to pregnancy care and delivery, they can provide general reproductive care, prescribe medication, order lab tests, and diagnose conditions. They’re qualified to work in hospitals, homes, and birth centers. CNMs are certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board. They work in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- Certified midwives (CMs): CMs have a master’s degree in midwifery, except they haven’t completed nursing school. CMs have an undergraduate degree in something other than nursing. They’re certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board and can prescribe medications. CMs are only licensed to practice in a few (nine) states.
- Certified professional midwives (CPMs): CPMs work at birth centers or homes. They have completed coursework and are certified by the North American Registry of Midwives. CPMs aren’t licensed to practice in all states and can’t prescribe medications.
- Unlicensed or lay midwives: These midwives don’t have certification or a license to practice. They are either self-taught or have received some other type of training, which could include an apprenticeship. Unlicensed midwives work almost exclusively in homes.
Delivering exemplary midwifery services to women, families, as well as the community, is our ultimate goal as midwives. With proper knowledge, the right people, and great passion, step by step, our little vision will turn into reality.
Midwives. American Pregnancy Association. (2021, December 9). Retrieved July 9, 2022, from https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/labor-and-birth/midwives/