Midwifery

Midwifery is a blanket term used to describe a number of different types of health practitioners, other than physicians, who provide prenatal care to expecting mothers, attend the birth of the infant and provide postnatal care to the mother and infant. Nurse-midwives (U.S.) may also provide gynecological care. Practitioners of midwifery are known as midwives, a term used in reference to both women and men (the term means "with the woman"). Most are independent practitioners who work with obstetricians when the need arises.They usually deal with normal births only but are trained to recognise and deal with deviation from the norm. If something abnormal is discovered during prenatal care, the client is sent to an obstetrician. Other midwives will deal with abnormal births, including breech birth.

Midwifery in the U.S.

There are two main divisions of modern midwifery in the United States, nurse-midwives and direct-entry midwives.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nurse Midwives

In the United States, nurse-midwives are advanced practice nurses who have specialized in the practice of obstetrical and gynecological care of relatively healthy women. Most nurse-midwives have a master's degree in nursing in addition to a registered nursing license. Nurse-midwives practice in hospitals and medical clinics, and may also deliver in birth centers and at home. They are able to prescribe medications in 48 out of the 50 states. Nurse-Midwives provide care to women from puberty through menopause. Nurse-midwives may work closely with an obstetrician, who provides consultation and assistance to patients who develop complications. Often, women with high risk pregnancies can receive the benefits of midwifery care from a nurse-midwife in collaboration with a physician. Currently 2% of nurse-midwives are men. The American College of Nurse-Midwives accredits nurse-midwifery education programs and serves as the national specialty society for the nation's certified nurse-midwives.

Related Topics:
Nurse - Gynecological

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Direct Entry Midwives

Direct entry midwives vary greatly in their training, certification and methods. Some are graduates of colleges or schools of midwifery which offer degree and certification programs of different lengths. Others choose to become Certified Professional Midwives through the North American Registry of Midwives. The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) certification council also provides accreditation to non-nurse midwife programs as well as colleges which graduate nurse midwives. All midwives certified by ACNM must pass the same certifying exam. Other midwives follow the time-honored path of the traditional birth attendant, learning the trade through apprenticeship and hands-on experience rather than a more formal course of study.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Another organization, Association for Childbirth at Home International (ACHI), also prepares Direct Entry midwives with a very detailed and technically competent program.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Practice in the United States

Midwives catch babies in any number of settings. While the majority of nurse-midwives work in hospitals, some nurse-midwives and many non-nurse-midwives catch babies at home. In many states, midwives form birthing centers where a group of midwives work together. Laws regarding who can practice midwifery and in what circumstances vary from state to state, and some midwives practice outside of the law.

Related Topics:
Home - Birthing center

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~