Independent CNM practice?

cayenne06, MSN, CNM · Feb 22, 2016

Huh. My midwife came to my homebirth alone. They were a partnership but they went on call individually which eachother as backup . Never discussed a birth assistant during prenatals. But I know *now* they have one.

Thankfully, birth goes well most of the time, even when there are underlying risk factors. But if the **** really hits the fan and mom starts bleeding out and baby is in secondary apnea, you are going to be up the creek pretty quick if you don't have at LEAST two sets of hands. Hell, even if baby is fine, who is going to draw up and give that pit, or call 911, while you are doing bimanual compression?

I do not think it is safe or appropriate for midwives to attend births alone.

rac1, ASN, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2016

Thankfully, birth goes well most of the time, even when there are underlying risk factors. But if the **** really hits the fan and mom starts bleeding out and baby is in secondary apnea, you are going to be up the creek pretty quick if you don't have at LEAST two sets of hands. Hell, even if baby is fine, who is going to draw up and give that pit, or call 911, while you are doing bimanual compression?
I do not think it is safe or appropriate for midwives to attend births alone.

I apprenticed for years a homebirth student midwife. The midwives I worked with all had assistats (me, and sometimes a few more). I had all my children (5) at home with a midwife. We are military, so we travel. Only one midwife of mine didn't have an assistant, and I am not sure why she didn't. I know she did later on. I was fine with it at the time. It was my 5th child, not my first, and my husband and I are pretty educated about birth, so it wasn't a big deal. I, too, think it is a good idea to have an assistant at births. I plan on becoming a midwife, and I won't ever purposely attend a birth solo. I have already accidentally been the student to catch a baby (several times) when the midwife was not there yet. Not the funnest, even though - yes, birth usually goes right!

Most homebirth midwives I know (and I've worked with two CNM's in the past, besides CPM's) plan for a one-month haitus each year. And most of the solo midwives I have worked with don't take anymore than 4 clients/month.