CNM programs with midwifery model of care

I'm interested in replies to this to. I am currentlly a CPM student struggling with deciding between sticking with my current program of study or becoming an RN and then CNM. Its a difficult decision because I am so passionate about the midwifery model of care. Empowering women to make their own decisions about pregnancy, labor & birth is a wonderful thing and unfortunately from what I have seen in my research, most CNM programs are more focused on the medical model of care. That's not to say that you can't go on to be a great midwife who uses that model despite her education, but my hunch is that its something you must incorporate into your own practice vs. what is encouraged and is the "norm".

It was my understanding that all nurse-midwives and cnm training programs follow the midwifery model of care rather than the medical model. Yes they are nurses, but they are midwives as well. So, to be clear, all cnm's and cnm programs do not follow the midwifery model of care and the non-interventionist approach? thank you.

You are right the first time. The curriculum has to meet the standards of the American College of Nurse Midwives in order to be an accredited school, and the midwife philosophy of care is what distinguishes this profession of the medical profession. There are always going to be some outlier midwives who are more into intervention, as they are OB's who are more like midwives in their approach. What you do after you begin your career is up to you as person.

The curriculum involves a lot of sciences and pharmacology, but that doesn't make midwifery "medical" in approach.