In the U.S., there are 3 basic types of midwives available to provide care for women.
Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)
A certified nurse midwife is a registered nurse with graduate education in midwifery. They have graduated from a nurse-midwifery education program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME). This education includes a university degree as well as hands-on clinical training by practicing CNMs. They also have passed the national certification exam of the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB). CNMs provide general women’s health care throughout a woman’s lifespan. CNMs work in many different settings, such as hospitals, health centers, private practices, birth centers, and homes. Most midwives in the United States are CNMs.
Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)
CPMs prepare for a national certification exam administered by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) in different ways. There are two primary pathways for CPM education with differing requirements: apprenticeship training alone or an accredited formal education program. The health care services provided by CPMs are not as broad as those of CNMs. CPMs provide pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care for women outside of the hospital—often in birth centers and homes. CPMs are not able to prescribe most medications. In the state of Illinois CPM’s are not currently licensed to provide maternity care.
Other Midwives
Other midwives who are not certified by AMCB or NARM may be practicing in some states. These midwives may or may not have formal education and have not passed a national certification exam. They may or may not be licensed. Their services are usually focused on pregnancy and birth, and they are unable to prescribe most medications.
Myth Buster #1 – Midwives do not have formal training- FALSE! Certified Nurse Midwives have a master’s degree in nursing from an accredited commission and must take and pass a national certification exam in order to practice in the state of Illinois.
Myth Buster #2 – Midwives only provide home birth services- FALSE!- The fact is that 95% of CNM’s work in a hospital based setting!
Myth Buster #3 – Midwives only provide pregnancy related care right? FALSE! Certified Nurse Midwives provide care throughout the lifespan of women’s health- from teenage years through menopause and beyond!
