WHY CHOOSE MIDWIFERY

Why choose Midwifery Care | What Options are there for midwifery care in Washington State

Midwives are uniquely trained professionals who offer care and support to a woman and her newborn during the normal childbearing cycle. A midwife focuses on all the needs of a pregnant woman and her family – medical, social and emotional. Most of the world’s birth attendants are midwives. Those countries with the best birth outcome statistics use midwives as the primary providers of maternity care.

Why choose midwifery care?

Midwifery care is safe. Studies have shown that midwifery care is associated with excellent outcomes, not only among “low risk” women but also among women who are more likely to have premature or low birth weight babies. Midwives provide care that is more personal. Women want more than physical care during pregnancy and birth. Midwives devote more time to education and counseling, to participation by family members and to continuous support during labor and birth. Midwives encourage you to make choices. Midwives believe that optimum health and safety are best achieved when clients are in charge of decisions affecting their health. Midwives provide education and support to help their clients make decisions about tests they will have during pregnancy, who will be with them
during labour, the positions used during labor, where their baby will be born and much more. Midwifery care is less expensive. Without sacrificing quality and safety, midwifery care saves money. Midwifery fees are about one-third less than fees for comparable services provided by physicians.

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What options are there for midwifery care in Washington State?

Washington’s midwives provide care in a variety of settings, to many different kinds of women. They work in community clinics, birth centers, health maintenance organizations, family planning clinics and in their own private practices. They attend births in hospitals, birth centers and at home. Two categories of professional midwives are recognized in our state.

Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM) are educated in both nursing and midwifery. After attending a training program accredited by the American College of Nurse-Midwives, they must pass a national examination and then can be licensed in Washington as an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP).

Licensed Midwives (LM) have completed a three-year midwifery program at a state-accredited school. Standards for these programs are based on those adopted by the International Confederation of Midwives and the International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Licensed Midwives must also pass a state examination.

In addition, the Midwives Alliance for North America (MANA) developed a new national certification for direct-entry midwives. A Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) is an independent practitioner who has met the standards for certification set by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and is qualified to provide the Midwifery Model of Care. The NARM certification process includes the successful completion of both a written examination and a skills assessment.

To learn more about midwifery care in Washington State or in the nation at large there are professional organizations such as the Midwives Association of Washington State (MAWS) and the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA) Midwives Alliance of North America.

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