Midwifery

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.

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.