What is a midwife?

Certified nurse-midwives are health care providers who specialize in caring for women of all ages and backgrounds throughout their lifetime. With a special emphasis on pregnancy, childbirth, and gynecologic and reproductive health, midwives focus on what is most important to each woman’s unique situation to provide her with personalized, evidence-based care. Certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) are the most common type of US midwife. CNMs have graduate-level degrees, have passed a national certification exam, and are educated to safely prescribe a full range of medications and treatments. In Arizona, CNMs are independent practitioners who do not require physician supervision.

What are the different types of midwives?

There are different kinds of midwives that practice in Arizona. Certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) are Advanced Practice Registered Nurses that completed a Master's or Doctoral degree from a university. They pass a national board exam and are licensed to prescribe medication, order lab tests, and admit and discharge from hospitals. They can practice in homes, birth centers, medical offices, and hospitals. Licensed midwives (LMs) and certified professional midwives (CPMs) completed an apprenticeship training in midwifery and are licensed and regulated through the Department of Health. They practice at home or in birth centers. 

Services

Well Woman Visits
Gynecologic Care
Family Planning and Birth Control
Menopause Management
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Prenatal (Pregnancy) Visits
Labor and Delivery
Postpartum Care
Newborn Care
Breastfeeding Support

What do midwives do?

​Certified nurse-midwives are best known for caring for women through pregnancy and birth, but they also provide primary and gynecologic care to women from puberty through the child-bearing years and into menopause. Thanks to this special lifetime care, many women develop close bonds with their midwives over the years. A woman’s first visit to a midwife might occur during pregnancy for prenatal care or even during menopause for a well-woman check-up. A first visit typically begins with a complete, personalized assessment and physical exam, including diagnostic and laboratory testing if needed. Midwives are experts at supporting women through healthy childbirth and other normal life events. They often work with other members of the health care team, such as physicians and nurses.

Why would I choose a midwife?

Certified nurse-midwives are health professionals who provide holistic care to women throughout their lives. Midwifery is founded on a strong belief in partnership with women and respect for them. Midwives strive to empower women with knowledge and support their right to make their own informed health decisions. Midwives see childbirth as a natural, healthy process that most women accomplish without complication. They recognize that each woman is an individual and has unique personal, cultural, and religious beliefs. Midwives are also cost effective and improve outcomes, usually through nonintervention and prudent use of technology and surgery.

Benefits of Midwifery Care

Less likely to have a preterm baby
More likely to know the provider who attends their birth
Feel a greater sense of control
Less likely to need an induction
Less likely to need an episiotomy

Less likely to need epidural
Less likely to have a severe tear during birth
​Less likely to need forceps or a vacuum
Less likely to need a cesarean section
​More likely to successfully breastfeed

Sandall J, Soltani H, Gates S, Shennan A, Devane D. Midwife-led continuity models versus other models of care for childbearing women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2016, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD004667.
​American College of Nurse-Midwives. Midwifery: Evidence-Based Practice. A Summary of Research on Midwifery Practice in the United States. April 2012. http://www.midwife.org/Midwifery-Evidence-Based-Practice

Where do midwives work?

Midwives work in many different setting, including hospitals, medical offices, free-standing birth centers, clinics, and at home. They function as part of the bigger health care community, and refer to specialists (including OBs and perinatologists) as necessary.

Are midwives covered by insurance?

Midwifery care is paid for by private insurance carriers, Medicare, Medicaid, managed care programs, and military and federal employee health plans. Please contact your insurance provider to learn the details of your coverage.