What is a Midwife?

What does it mean to be a Midwife?

To me, a midwife is a woman who nurtures and protects a woman during one of the most vulnerable and impressionable times of her life: while she is pregnant and during her childbirth experience. Practically, the occupation of a midwife has expanded to include well woman care, fertility counseling and postpartum care as well (Rooks, 1997, p. 1). The midwife fills the role of educator, supporter, counselor and gate-keeper of safety. As the famous quote from Aristotle states, “A midwife should have a lady’s hands a hawk’s eyes and a lion’s heart.” To me this quote verbalizes the understanding that the role of a midwife is multi-faceted. The “lady’s hands” represent a midwife’s gentle guidance, support and understanding along with her caring nature. The “hawk’s eyes” represent a midwife’s ability to protect the safety of the mother and baby by recognizing early warning signs of complications while preserving the innate normalcy of birth by not disturbing the process unnecessarily. And, finally, the “lion’s heart” represents the willingness of the midwife to intervene bravely and swiftly when necessary.

What does it mean to be a Nurse Midwife?

The certified nurse midwife (CNM) is a registered nurse who has obtained an advanced practice master of science in nursing (MSN) degree and has passed an accreditation examination in order to become licensed by her state to practice midwifery. The CNM practices in collaboration with nurses and physicians in a team-like fashion in order to provide patient-centered, evidenced-based care to women. The CNM can do well women care, pre-conception and birth control counseling, prenatal care, labor and delivery, and postpartum care. She is an expert in normal woman’s healthcare. It is her job to spot complications early and consult and collaborate with other providers as needed. She also refers high-risk patients to physicians when the patient’s care is no longer in her scope of practice.

What does it mean to be a Nurse Midwife in the United States?

Because of the opportunities available to women in the United States due to its economic and social status, American women have a wide variety in healthcare and career choices. The same variety is evident within the field of midwifery in the United States. Therefore, if someone says they are a “midwife,” it is seldom sufficient as a definition of what they do.

The traditional direct-entry and lay midwives are present in the U.S. along with certified nurse midwives. Direct-entry and lay midwives have not been trained at universities as nurses first and they do their deliveries at home or in birth centers (Rooks, 1997, p. 8). The legality of practicing midwifery is regulated by individual states, some of which still consider it illegal to practice midwifery as a lay or direct entry midwife (Midwives Alliance of North America, 2011). But, even within the category of certified nurse midwives there is variation in practice. Most CNMs deliver babies in the hospital, but some do births in birth centers or homes. And, the application of their training in practice can vary as well. There are some midwives who subscribe to the midwifery model of care and some to the medical model of care.

As you can see, simply because one is a midwife, does not pigeon hole them into behaving in one prescribed manner. This is a positive aspect of this profession, in my opinion. There are choices women must make when setting forth in the journey into midwifery. Knowing that you want to be a midwife is only but a beginning. What kind of midwife do you want to be? What kind of training will get you there? These are the questions you must explore in order to embrace your calling fully.

For me, my decision to become a midwife came before my decision to become a nurse. I felt my choices in childbirth were limited and the birth of my son suffered because of it. Due to this, I educated myself and realized there were indeed choices in childbirth. I then became a doula and supported many women throughout their pregnancies and births. It was during my rewarding work as a doula that I realized I wanted to become a midwife. At that point I had attended births with both CNMs and home birth lay midwives. I did have to seriously consider what type of midwife I was going to become.

The deciding factor for me was the impact that practicing lay midwifery in a state where it is illegal, like it is in my home state, would have on my family. I decided the most responsible pathway for me to follow was to become a CNM and make positive changes to birth within the current socially recognized and respected birth system.

References:

Midwives Alliance of North America. (2011). Direct-entry midwifery state-by-state legal status. Retrieved from http://mana.org/statechart.html

Rooks, J.P. (1997). Midwifery and Childbirth in America. Temple University Press. Philadelphia, PA.