What is a Midwife?

The term “midwife” means “with woman”. Midwives are health professionals trained to provide women’s health care, prenatal care, labor and delivery assistance to women, after birth care, and care of the newborn. Midwives have been giving care to women since the beginning of time and can be found practicing in all countries. Midwives are trained to care for normal, healthy women and view pregnancy as a normal physiological stage in a woman’s life. They strive to help women have a healthy pregnancy and birth through education about their bodies and how to maximize their health during pregnancy. Midwifery care is focused on supporting what is normal and minimizing unnecessary interventions. Midwifery care is woman-centered; our goal is to ensure that each woman has the birth experience she desires, whatever that means to her.

In the state of Washington, there are two kinds of midwives: certified nurse-midwives and licensed midwives. We are the local chapter of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, made up of certified nurse-midwives.

What is a Certified Nurse-Midwife?

A certified nurse-midwife (CNM) is someone who has been trained as a registered nurse, and then obtains a graduate degree in the field of nurse-midwifery, focusing on women’s health, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care. CNMs attend deliveries in hospitals, birth centers, and homes.

Nurse-midwives have prescriptive authority in all 50 states and can provide gynecological, family planning, and primary care to their patients. In Washington, CNMs are independent health care providers who work in collaborative relationships with obstetricians, should complications arise.

Becoming a Nurse-Midwife:

Information about the educational preparation for nurse-midwives and national programs, including distance learning options, can be found on the ACNM national website.

Information on Master of Nursing Programs including Nurse-Midwifery

The University of Washington School of Nursing offers several educational options leading to certification as a nurse-midwife.

Other Pacific Northwest nurse-midwifery programs include:
Oregon Health & Science University

For More Information...

To learn more about certified nurse-midwives, please feel free to explore our website. To find a nurse-midwife in your area, visit our directory. We also recommend the American College of Nurse-Midwives website.