Meet the Midwives at BMC

New format for "Meet the Midwives" coming soon…

Please check out our childbirth education offerings for a tour of the hospital and other classes.

What is a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)?

Certified nurse-midwives are educated at the master’s degree level to provide women’s healthcare. They specialize in care during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. A midwife can also provide family planning methods and routine healthcare for women. Midwives believe pregnancy and birth can be normal and empowering events in the life of a woman. They strive to provide personalized, respectful care for each client. Read more about certified nurse-midwives and meet the team

What Does a Midwife Do?

  • A midwife helps patients give birth normally, and the way they choose
  • Recognizes problems in pregnancy and labor and refer patients to specialists when necessary
  • Has healthy mothers and healthy babies.
    Here are some statistics on women cared for by a midwife at BMC in 2015:
    • There was a cesarean birth rate of 19%.
    • Sixty percent of women with a previous cesarean tried to have a vaginal birth, and of those, 53% succeeded.
    • Ninety-five percent of babies born to mothers who were cared for by midwives did not need special care (this figure is better than average for healthy pregnancies)
  • Offers medication and epidurals if desired
  • Offers support and encouragement for those who choose to give birth without pain medicine
  • Works as a team with obstetricians, family medicine physicians, and perinatologists
  • Refer patients to BMC’s Birth Sisters Program for extra community doula support.
  • Give free pregnancy education and information through our Hey Mama! Patient Guides, Centering Pregnancy program, and Childbirth Education program
    • Paciente guías disponibles en español: Hola, Mamá! – Una guía sobre el embarazo, parto y los bebés.

Who Should Have a Midwife?

All healthy women may be offered midwifery care. At Boston Medical Center, the special team approach on labor and delivery allows any woman with a low-risk pregnancy to receive care by either a midwife or a family physician. Women with high-risk pregnancies are cared for in labor by obstetricians, who are experts at complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Some women may especially benefit from a midwife, including women who:

  • View pregnancy and birth as a normal process. They will match well with midwifery’s expertise in normal childbearing.
  • Desire midwifery care and have moderate medical risk factors. These women may receive care from both a midwife and a doctor.
  • Want extra time and attention at their prenatal visits, including first time mothers and anyone who wants additional support and information.