In plain words
A midwife is a trained health professional who cares for people through pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. In the United States, there are several kinds. Certified nurse-midwives are nurses with graduate training in midwifery. Certified professional midwives follow a different training route, and many work at home or in birth centers. Midwives focus on normal pregnancy and birth, and they work with physicians when a risk comes up. Coverage depends on the state and your plan. Ask about training, credentials, and what happens if a transfer to a hospital is needed.
The deeper version
Midwifery in the United States has several credential pathways. Certified nurse-midwives are registered nurses who completed graduate-level midwifery education and are certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board. Certified professional midwives are credentialed through the North American Registry of Midwives, often after community-based training, and are licensed in some states. Evidence compares midwife-led with physician-led care. A Cochrane review (Sandall and colleagues, 2016) found midwife-led continuity models associated with fewer interventions and similar or better outcomes for people at low risk. The main controversy concerns regulation, , and access to planned out-of-hospital birth, which varies across states.
Where it comes up
- OB or midwife: choosing who catches your babyGetting Ready for Birth
- Hospital, birth center, or homeGetting Ready for Birth
- Building your birth teamGetting Ready for Birth
- What a doula does, and how to find oneGetting Ready for Birth
What mothers here say about midwife
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Sources
- American College of Nurse-Midwives — Definition of Midwifery and Scope of Practice
- Sandall J and colleagues — Midwife-led continuity models in community settings for childbearing women, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2016)