If you’re interested in hiring a midwife to deliver your baby, it helps to do some research.
Why’s That? Because midwives have varying levels of training and experience. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at three specific types of midwives: Certified Nurse Midwives, Certified Midwives, and Traditional Midwives. The first two types of midwives have the most training, whereas the third type doesn’t have a training requirement at all.
Get Wise(r) About These 3 Common Types of Midwives Below:
1. Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM): The Highest Level of Certification.
- Certified nurse midwives graduated from college, obtained a nursing degree, and completed midwifery training.
- CNMs deliver babies in hospitals, birthing centers, and in their patients’ homes. They do not perform C-sections.
- All states recognize and license CNMs and allow them to prescribe medications.
- CNMs are required to have malpractice insurance and some of them accept health insurance.
2. Certified Midwives (CMs): The Middle of the Road in Terms of Certification.
- Certified midwives don’t have a nursing degree, but they do have an undergraduate degree and a midwifery certification through the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB). You can verify that your midwife is certified through the AMCB here.
- CMs offer prenatal care, home deliveries, and postpartum care.
- Only some states provide CMs with an official license and allow them to prescribe medications.
- Certified Midwives don’t usually accept health insurance or have malpractice insurance.
3. Traditional Midwives (“Lay Midwives”): No Certification Necessary
- Lay midwives have no “formal” training.
- They learn their trade from other midwives (or on their own) and draw knowledge from the traditions that have gone before them.
- As you can imagine, “lay midwives” can be a mixed bag. There are some really great ones and some woefully inexperienced ones, too. If you decide to go this route, research your options carefully.
The Bottom Line & A Parting PediaTip
If you’re interested in hiring a midwife to deliver your baby, do your homework. Pick someone who knows what they’re doing and who has a close affiliation with a hospital in case you’re doing a home birth and things get squirrely.
Bonus Info:
- One of the first steps in picking a midwife is deciding whether you want to give birth in a hospital, a birthing center, or in the comfort of your own home. Get Wise(r) about the different Delivery Location Options here.
- In addition, Get Wise about the Top 10 Interview Questions to Ask Midwives.
