I am currently in nursing school and considering what I would like to do in the future. I'm considering a lot of things and I know things might change as I get farther along In nursing school.
I am very passionate about pregnancy and babies. I believe pregancy and birth should be seen as incredible, not a disease. I believe that women's bodies know what they are doing and that natural childbirth should be encouraged whenever possible. I want to work with pregnant women and newborns, especially low income and young mothers, but I'm not only interested in the pregnancy and delivery part. I would love to get involved with breastfeeding promotion/support and health promotion after the baby is born but I'm not sure if that is something a CNM would be involved with.
Im concerned about the lack of work/family balance because I want children of my own and I don't want a nanny to raise them. Are there any jobs a CNM could do part time for a few years? Also, are CNMs involved with abortions or artificial family planning usually? I'm not willing to participate in or advocate for abortions or artificial family planning.
I am also doing research online and trying to find a midwife to shadow but I would love to get some information from the knowledgeable people on here.
MariposaLPN, I believe a patient does have the right to make their own choices if no one else will be harmed. However, there are certain things that I won't participate in, abortion and artificial conception being two of those things. I'm not a Christian so I don't know what the christian teachings are regarding ivf and surrogacy but I don't believe we need to use science to create more lives when we already have more than enough people to create children naturally and more than enough children to adopt. I understand everyone is not going to agree with that and I would have to explain to patients seeking those servies that they would have to look elsewhere,
So basically, if we can't have kids naturally, then according to your beliefs, we aren't allowed to? Really? Maybe CNM isn't the job for you then...
Everyone is entitled to have their own natural children. I don't know if I'd personally be comfortable providing this for everyone, but for a stable, married couple, who is in the correct state of mind and with extensive counseling either by a midwife or social worker, I would be okay doing it. Each situation is so unique there is no way to make blanket statements like I would never do an abortion. If a mom would die if she carried her baby or G-d forbid needed chemotherapy and couldn't wait till after the fetus was viable, I would be okay terminated the pregnancy. But I would NEVER terminate someone's pregnancy because they didn't want it. I feel like that's the whole difference between doctors and midwives, that a midwife deals with the whole patient and patient needs, and not solely on a medical standpoint. A midwife is able to help a woman in a difficult position with support and compassion. That doesn't mean going against your beliefs, just taking each woman as an individual. Does that make sense? Am I totally off base about the job of a cnm? Because that is what I want to do after I get my bsn...
MariposaLPN, no one is saying you're not allowed to. I'm simply not willing to help make it happen.
Mmrox92, I don't believe anyone is entitled to children. You're right that every situation is unique and like you, I would never terminate a pregnancy just because a woman didn't want it. If a woman's life was threatened by the pregnancy, I would help her get the abortion she needs. I am not as opposed to artificial conception as I am abortion so there might be situations where I was willing to participate if it was a stable, married couple but that would open a can of worms to where I would have to participate in situations that I was opposed to bringing a child into like single women or lgbt couples.
I am in total agreement with you. However, that's what I feel is the benefit of being a cnm, that hopefully you'll have a relationship with your patients and they will know your feelings. Like think of your friends... I don't discuss your night out drinking with your alcohols friend... You know which friends to discuss what with and you have things in common. A lgbt couple would never come to me, they would go to someone they know would do it... I don't see this being a problem... People pick their doctors and cnms based on exactly these type of things
This is the philosophy of midwifery care put forth by the American College of Nurse Midwives. If you do not feel that you could uphold this philosophy for ALL women who come to you, gay, straight, married, single, then maybe midwifery is not for you.
Thank you everyone for responding. Most of your answers were very helpful. Cayenne06, I can't agree with you but thanks for taking the time to respond.
Well, what I posted were just straight facts, nothing to disagree or agree with. You can have a personal moral objection to abortion, that's totally fine. But that doesn't negate the fact that abortion access has huge- HUGE- implications for maternal and infant health.
I am glad you clarified that you would be willing to non-judgmentally counsel a woman on pregnancy options and refer her for a termination if desired. That is absolutely appropriate and within the bounds of ethical midwifery practice.
Would you refuse to care for a woman who conceived using clomid? What about a traditional surrogacy arrangement, where the surrogate uses her own egg? How about a woman carrying higher order multiples who decides to reduce? What about a cancer survivor, who froze her eggs prior to treatment and is now pregnant from IVF? Would you be able to provide care to a woman who presents after an attempted home abortion with black market cytotec? I'm not trying to be pedantic- my point is that women's health is FULL of ethical shades of grey, probably more than any other type of health care. And I feel very strongly that women deserve compassionate, nonjudgmental access to the FULL scope of sexual and reproductive health care options.
OP, so are you saying you are not willing to see single or LGBT mothers? IMHO, you should review the Midwifery Model of Care that LibraSun provided and seriously reconsider your focus on women's health.
MMROX92, I truly wasn't aware that there are employers out there that allow you to pick and choose what patients you treat.
Cayenne06, I understand abortion has huge implications for maternal and infant health. However, I don't believe that outweighs the negatives. So I can not agree with you that its something a woman should offered in most cases. If a woman were to come to me after she conceived, I would not deny her care. She has already conceived, there's nothing I can do about it. It's not really my business how she did it at that point. I would not help with conception though.If a woman came to me after an attempted home abortion, of course, I would care for her because at that point her life is at risk. I dont believe women deserve access to the full scope of sexual and reproductive health care options in all situations.
mamgui, I am willing to see single mothers. One of the reasons I want to go into midwifery is to work with low income, single mothers. However, I will not help a single woman conceive a child. That's deliberately making a child, knowing that it will group up without its father. I also will not help an LGBT couple conceive a child for the same reason. I would have to provide them the same care I provide other patients.
Cayenne06, I understand abortion has huge implications for maternal and infant health. However, I don't believe that outweighs the negatives. So I can not agree with you that its something a woman should offered in most cases. If a woman were to come to me after she conceived, I would not deny her care. She has already conceived, there's nothing I can do about it. It's not really my business how she did it at that point. I would not help with conception though.If a woman came to me after an attempted home abortion, of course, I would care for her because at that point her life is at risk. I dont believe women deserve access to the full scope of sexual and reproductive health care options in all situations.
mamgui, I am willing to see single mothers. One of the reasons I want to go into midwifery is to work with low income, single mothers. However, I will not help a single woman conceive a child. That's deliberately making a child, knowing that it will group up without its father. I also will not help an LGBT couple conceive a child for the same reason. I would have to provide them the same care I provide other patients.
Again, then CNM probably isn't for you. The moment a single mother or LGBT couple finds out that you refuse to help them because of your beliefs (not talking about abortion here, different story), you'll be in deep monkey doodoo. Your opinions have no place in patient care and YES, all women should have ALL aspects of reproductive and sexual health available to them, otherwise, what are we nurses for?
I made it clear above that I am willing to provide Single women and Lgbt couples the same care that I would provide anyone else. Part of the reason I said I would not participate in artificial conception in cases where I believe it to be good is because it would require me to do it in all cases. Nurses are not here to provide any service a woman may want. And when dealing with pregnant woman, there is more than the woman to consider. I will not offer anything that harms the baby or creates a baby that will be in a less than ideal situation. Some aspects of reproductive and sexual health care are harmful to the baby or used to make children in situations where children shouldn't be made and in those cases women do not deserve access to those services unless their life is in danger. If you believe I shouldn't be a CNM, that's fine. I, personally, think there should be more CNMs who share my beliefs.
I made it clear above that I am willing to provide Single women and Lgbt couples the same care that I would provide anyone else. Part of the reason I said I would not participate in artificial conception in cases where I believe it to be good is because it would require me to do it in all cases. Nurses are not here to provide any service a woman may want. And when dealing with pregnant woman, there is more than the woman to consider. I will not offer anything that harms the baby or creates a baby that will be in a less than ideal situation. Some aspects of reproductive and sexual health care are harmful to the baby or used to make children in situations where children shouldn't be made and in those cases women do not deserve access to those services unless their life is in danger. If you believe I shouldn't be a CNM, that's fine. I, personally, think there should be more CNMs who share my beliefs.
You're kidding right? Please tell me you are. Who are you to judge if a child will or won't be in an ideal home? Believe it or not, many women are stable enough to want a child, but don't want to be tied down in a relationship. Nurses with this mindset worry me. No one said to harm, but not even to bless a family with a baby? Lord, now you really wanna play God... You asked for our opinion on career choices correct? After reading all these posts, I think it's been clear.
I'm not kidding at all. I'm not going to help create a child knowing it will be in a situation that is less than ideal. I asked for information on the role of a CNM. I did not ask for your opinion on anything. From other answers above and my own research, it seems to me that it's very possible to avoid providing abortions and artificial conception so CNM is not off my list.
ButterflyRN90, ASN, RN
538 Posts
So basically, if we can't have kids naturally, then according to your beliefs, we aren't allowed to? Really? Maybe CNM isn't the job for you then...