Midwives provide obstetric and gynecological (OB-GYN) health services that typically focus on prenatal care. However, midwives aren’t limited to helping women prepare for childbirth. They may also provide routine health services, such as screenings, annual gynecological exams, birth control counseling and helping women manage menopause.
Midwife means “with woman,” and nurse midwives work with women during some of the most important stages of their lives, according to the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Midwives consult with physicians as needed.
Types of Midwives
Midwives have varying levels of medical education and can work in a variety of care settings, including clinics, birth centers and hospitals.
- Certified nurse midwives, or CNMs, are advanced practice registered nurses who have gone through graduate-level training and passed certification exams from the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB).
- Certified professional midwives, or CPMs, receive certification through the North American Registry of Midwives, which requires an apprenticeship or degree from a midwifery program. They are not nurses and cannot work in hospitals or prescribe medications.
- Lay midwives generally work outside hospital settings. They have received some midwife training through apprenticeships or other programs but are generally not certified.
Doulas, which are a kind of childbirth coach, can offer support and guidance for mothers before, during and after childbirth, as midwives do, but they’re not usually certified. They also cannot provide medical care.
Why Choose a Midwife?
Midwives have long been recognized as advocates for women as they go through pregnancy, labor and the postpartum period. According to the Midwives Alliance of North America, nurse midwives provide the full spectrum of care for women, promoting a healthy pregnancy and birth, and detecting complications during childbirth.
In general, midwives focus on education, preventing complications and limiting medical interventions to only those that are necessary or requested by the patient. Midwives focus on listening and providing a patient-centered experience.
Midwives strive to build a trusting relationship with their patients that involves shared decision-making. Many patients feel empowered by their nurse midwives to make decisions and speak up for themselves.
Is a Midwife Right for Me?
Today, many women seek the care of a midwife through an OB-GYN provider’s office. Some people may associate midwives with only attending home or birth center births, but that’s not the case. Many midwives in the U.S. practice in a hospital setting.
Similarly, some people may think midwives promote medication-free births, when in fact they empower women in their care to use or access all appropriate tools for managing pain during labor—including medication, if the patient chooses that path.
Women who are pregnant or looking to become pregnant can also seek the care of a nurse midwife. According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, midwives typically provide care for women expecting low-risk births with few complications.
Women who see a midwife through pregnancy and labor and delivery experience higher rates of vaginal delivery without medical intervention, better success in breastfeeding, and more vaginal births after cesarean sections, also known as C-sections.
Here are five ways midwives help provide continuous care and support for women:
1. Fewer C-Sections and Episiotomies
According to one study, hospitals that have high numbers of midwife-assisted births perform fewer C-sections and episiotomies during low-risk childbirths. According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives, using less intervention is a hallmark of midwifery. In fact, the American College of Nurse-Midwives created the Healthy Birth Initiative to promote vaginal births and reduce C-sections in women giving birth for the first time.
Under the care of midwives, women are also less likely to use of pain medication during labor.
2. Shared Decision-Making
According to Every Mother Counts, women are more likely to be satisfied with their childbirth experience if they’ve worked with a midwife. But what does that mean? Midwives seek a relationship-based model for care that fosters trust and emotional support between a woman and her midwife. They collaborate with women about health care decisions, empowering a woman to make the best choice for herself. All decisions are centered around the patient in gynecological, prenatal, postpartum and newborn care.
3. Effective Communication
Childbirth can be overwhelming and intimidating. Midwives guide women through every stage of pregnancy and through labor and delivery, offering one-on-one communication that may not always be possible with traditional health care providers. Midwives can also help women make decisions that align with their personal values and beliefs and communicate those decisions with their larger care team. At the same time, midwives can also help patients understand a physician’s instructions and offer tips for following those instructions.
4. Breastfeeding Support
Most women’s health care providers provide significant guidance, education and support for breastfeeding. Midwives make breastfeeding a central focus after childbirth. They provide personalized information and care that empower mothers to breastfeed successfully, which can be a challenging responsibility for new moms. According to one study, women were twice as likely to breastfeed for at least six months if they had worked with a midwife or family doctor. Midwives can also help women transition back to work, offering advice on how to continue breastfeeding when they are away from their babies for extended periods.
5. Continuous Labor Support
While midwives are equipped in many ways to provide outstanding support for women, their ability to provide continuous labor support stands out. This constant support can reduce a woman’s chance of having a C-section and the use of pain medications.
More to Read
- Pregnant? Here’s Why You Should Consider Breastfeeding.
- Traveling While Breastfeeding or Pumping
- What to Do if You Can’t Find Baby Formula
- Diabetes During Pregnancy
Medically reviewed by Ashley Robinson, CNM.
