How does one become a midwife?

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can anyone tell me? thanks :)

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In the US? You get your BSN, work as a L&D nurse and then go back to school for your degree in midwifery. Most states now require the Masters degree so it takes about 2 years full time.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Or one can go into lay midwifery, depending on State. In some states, this is not recognized or legal. The lay midwife is not necessarily a licensed nurse, but goes through often very much intense internship with experienced midwives, in order to learn her skills and trade.

If you want to go the Certified Nurse Midwife route, fergus is right. You need first, to become an RN, and it is recommended you get some training in labor/delivery as an RN first, then go on to graduate school, with an emphasis on certified nurse midwifery. (this would be a Master's degree program).

Good luck in your endeavors.

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I forgot all about lay midwives! I've never worked with one, though one of my cousins used one when she had her daughter....

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There are also different types of lay midwives, though the names vary by area. Certified Professional Midwives get a degree from a MEAC accredited school of midwifery AND do clinical work in an apprenticeship. They take the NARM test and receive certification.

Traditional Midwives work one on one with an experienced midwife, doing home study and attending births in an apprenticeship. These midwives are not licensed or certified but are no less skilled.

I'm six months into a three year apprenticeship as a traditional midwife. I do plan on pursuing NARM certification, however, so I can work in states that require it for licensure.

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Specializes in OB, lactation.

Here are some great links about midwifery:

Great page explaining midwifery terms, since they can be confusing I think this is definitely the place to start for information: http://www.mana.org/definitions.html

Info about certified nurse-midwifery (CNM): http://www.midwife.org/edu/

Info about direct-entry midwifery from MEAC. "Programs accredited by MEAC shall provide the student with the requirements necessary to qualify for the NARM examination leading to certification as a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM): http://www.meacschools.org/

(MANA) Midwives Alliance of North America "The mission of MANA is to provide a nurturing forum for support and cooperation among midwives." http://www.mana.org

How to become a certified professional midwife (CPM), (which is a type of direct-entry (non-nurse) midwife): http://www.narm.org/pdffiles/htbmar04.pdf

Midwives Model of Care: http://www.narm.org/htb.htm#mmoc

Great chart with state direct-entry midwifery laws: http://www.mana.org/statechart.html

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Once you are ready to go for your CNM grad study, you should interview with schools about their requirements for CNM applicants. I have spoke to a few, and found out that their requirements differ. One reputable school has even advised that I DON'T work in L&D before entering, because they don't want their students picking up any bad habits.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Once you are ready to go for your CNM grad study, you should interview with schools about their requirements for CNM applicants. I have spoke to a few, and found out that their requirements differ. One reputable school has even advised that I DON'T work in L&D before entering, because they don't want their students picking up any bad habits.

did they enlighten you as to what those bad habits are? Just curious.

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Once you are ready to go for your CNM grad study, you should interview with schools about their requirements for CNM applicants. I have spoke to a few, and found out that their requirements differ. One reputable school has even advised that I DON'T work in L&D before entering, because they don't want their students picking up any bad habits.

I love it. Now that's funny!! Bad habits, indeed..........

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Please understand: I do NOT want this to turn into a flame-fest. I would like earnest dialogue and hope to learn something.

I am just curious as to the schools of thought that teach future certified nurse midwives that we OB nurses have bad habits, and what those are perceived to be. What schools are turning down prior OB nurses in pursuit of certified nurse midwives that would have no bad habits from prior L/D experience? Cause the universities here, I have never heard of saying such things. It's news to me. I am in no way interested in starting a fight. This is honestly the first time I have ever heard this! Can you please expound on this?

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Specializes in OB, lactation.

I am betting it was just more that they want to train people their way, etc.

Lots of schools are like that in general. I once took the FBI entrance exam and I heard that they preferred that you didn't have previous training in shooting guns because they like to do it fresh from the beginning their way (don't know if that was true, just another example.) And you could always pick up a "bad habit" if you learned stuff from someone who wasn't using evidence based practice or whatever. I'm sure all of you know of some nurses who don't practice the way they should. I doubt the statement was insinuating that L&D floors are doing bad practice as a whole, KWIM?

Then again, you'd hope that someone who's been accepted into graduate school would have good enough judgement to practice in a decent way, &/or have the capability to unlearn "bad habits" that the school doesn't teach &/or pick up a lot more good than bad. Maybe the school just wants to recruit and get their $$$.

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Please understand: I do NOT want this to turn into a flame-fest. I would like earnest dialogue and hope to learn something.

I am just curious as to the schools of thought that teach future certified nurse midwives that we OB nurses have bad habits, and what those are perceived to be. What schools are turning down prior OB nurses in pursuit of certified nurse midwives that would have no bad habits from prior L/D experience? Cause the universities here, I have never heard of saying such things. It's news to me. I am in no way interested in starting a fight. This is honestly the first time I have ever heard this! Can you please expound on this?

Hello!!!

Before starting answering, I d like to mention that Nurses Midwives do not have to be RN anymore only. There are a few schools accredited by ACNM that are offering MS in Midwifery. The graduates take the same boards of exam offered by ACC and have the same scope of practice than a CNM.. but they are labeled CM (certified Midwives) :)

I have never heard of anything like this but I can understand where that would come from..

When I entered MW school, (although I am an RN) I had no experience in L&D but had an extensive experience as a doula in hospital and home birth settings. During my clinicals (esp. the Intrapartum ones), I had trouble ajusting to the hopital settings and the spirit of hospital birth.. I am also a slow learner when it comes down to hands on, and had trouble to communicate with RNs used to work with CNMs with a previous experience in L&D. It was very hard emotionally and I was losing my self confidence; being in such a spiral, I decided to take some time off and get a job in L&D, to harden a bit and get the rythm. I do not regret it but it is hard sometimes for many reasons...

The old eating their youngs, the preconcept of some nurses against home birth MW management, the idea that continuous monitoring is a must etc...managing second stage in labor (counting until 10 etc..). I am not saying that all RNS are like this, they are not (especially where i am working), but depending on the setting, the unit manager, and the education that onehas regarding birth, some students may be better off w/o having to go through L&D. As far as I am concerned when I am working as a labor nurse, i am always trying to remember that i can integrate components of the MW spirit that r compatible with my RN scope of practice. But it can be hard to remember where one comes from, especially in a climate of increasing liability for MDs Midwives and RNs..

So i think my experience in L&D is a very positive one because I came to it with values favorable to MW..

Most of students entering the field are not youngins and i am sure that they can forge their own ideas about habits, values etc...

IMO, there is not one kind of MW but a gamet of variations starting from the MW seeing birth as a natural physiological event to the MW who truly believes that managing birth in a high tech environment is also MW.. but this is another topic.. :uhoh3:

Ginny

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