Nurse Midwives

Sound decisions are integral to good healthcare, and nurse-midwives want you to take an active role in making the right choices for you and your family.

That's why the philosophy of nurse-midwifery care "focuses on the needs of the individual and family for physical care, emotional and social support and active involvement of significant others according to cultural values and personal preferences."

Midwives listen to women, and always provide the information you need to make informed and educated decisions about your healthcare. But, like any provider, not all midwives are the same, and you should decide which type of midwife is right for you.

Not all midwives are alike, and not every woman is a candidate for midwifery care. Because standards for the education and practice of midwifery might vary, ACNM urges consumers to carefully evaluate credentials.

Why should I choose a midwife who is certified?

All CNMs have earned at least a bachelor's degree, and more than 70 percent hold at least a master's. Furthermore, CNMs must graduate from a nationally accredited education program, pass a rigorous national certification exam, and be licensed to practice. Certification helps to ensure that midwives provide their clients with a safe mechanism for consultation, collaboration, and referral if needed.

• CNMs offer a variety of high quality healthcare services for women. Your CNM/CM will take a complete family and personal medical history, and give you a thorough and gentle examination. Birth control counseling, prescriptions and follow-up examinations are available. CNMs specialize in caring for women during pregnancy, labor and delivery, as well as after birth. Midwives can care for adolescents, women of childbearing age and women during menopausal years.

• It is possible to be a competent practitioner without a college education. Still, the public has come to trust the multiple levels of testing for knowledge and competence that are inherent in a formal college level education and the standards for safety that are required by federal and state licensing agencies. These are the standards that physicians must meet and these are the standards that certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives must meet.