Midwives take care of women during pregnancy, labor, birth and the postpartum. When delivery takes place out of the hospital setting, the midwife is also responsible for taking care of the newborn. Midwives may also provide well women gynecology services.
MIDWIVES MODEL OF CARE
The Midwives Model of Care™ is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes.
The Midwives Model of Care includes:
- Monitoring the physical, psychological, and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle
- Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support
- Minimizing technological interventions
- Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention
- The application of this woman-centered model of care has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section.
TYPES OF MIDWIVES
There are two types of midwife in the United States:
- Nurse-midwives are educated and licensed as nurses first, and then complete additional education in midwifery. They are known as Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs). CNMs are licensed to practice in all 50 states. They are usually licensed in individual states as Nurse Practitioners (NPs).
- Direct-entry midwives are educated or trained as midwives without having to become nurses first. They may be Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) or Certified Midwives (CMs). The legal status and requirements for direct-entry (non-nurse) midwives vary from state. They are usually licensed in individual states as Licensed Midwives (LMs) or Registered Midwives (RMs). The Midwives Alliance of North America tracks the laws and regulations in each state for direct-entry midwives.
Disclaimer: All information contained on this page is intended to be used as a resource only. Although every attempt is made to provide quality references to the users of this site, the information has been provided by multiple sources and therefore the Association of Midwifery Educators (AME) does not assume liability for the accuracy or integrity of the information contained here. This information may or may not meet any regulatory or accrediting requirements and is not intended for that purpose.