Job prospects for CNMs

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Hi! I just finished reading Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth...an amazing book. It impacted me so deeply that I have started to consider pursuing being a CNM later in life (yes, I know I'm only a high school senior, buuuut I'm quite interested)

So here is my question...realistically, how are the job prospects for CNMs going forward? Are jobs few and far between or is there a possibility that one can make an actual living off this career?

Thanks in advance!

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Specializes in OB.

Well, there are thousands of CNMs/CMs making an actual living off this career in the U.S., so yes, you can :-) Job prospects vary geographically but are overall very good, IMO. I'd encourage you to peruse the American College of Nurse Midwives website, midwife.org, for more information about the field.

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Well, there are thousands of CNMs/CMs making an actual living off this career in the U.S., so yes, you can :-) Job prospects vary geographically but are overall very good, IMO. I'd encourage you to peruse the American College of Nurse Midwives website, midwife.org, for more information about the field.

Thank you for your response! I'll definitely check that out. :)

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Specializes in OB.

You're welcome. I also decided to become a midwife in high school, although it was the book "The Red Tent" that peaked my own initial interest.

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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.

The Red Tent, Baby Catcher, Delivery, Midwives, I could go on... loved those books. Still have a collection on my shelf. I was just like you- I had an inkling I wanted to be a midwife around age 17-18 (i knew I wanted to be in medicine my whole life). By 19, I had dropped out of college to attend midwifery school, and here I am 15 years later.

I will give you some words of advice that I wish someone had given me. Midwifery is a diverse profession in the US- there is more than one type of midwife, and there is wide variability in training level among them. Some midwives do not accept a science based model of care.

It is important that you pay attention to this, if you really decide to pursue midwifery. It is the most amazing career ever, but unfortunately you do have to be careful when seeking out training. As it stands right now, I encourage you to be very cautious of any program that is not affiliated with ACNM/AMCB. At this time, midwives associated with MANA/NARM are not held to any standardized level of training or expertise, and they are not widely integrated into the medical system. Career options for these types of midwives are typically very limited, since do not have the education or skills necessary to prescribe medication or work inside of a hospital.

Just trying to help you learn from my mistakes, lol. I was a granola hippy when I started college so the allure of "all natural midwifery" was strong. That decision really side tracked my career, and plus forced me to eat crow when I realized that so much of what I learned was wrong, or misguided. I now feel compelled to help others avoid the dark path into pseudoscience, lol.

I love being a midwife, I could never ever do anything else. Its hard work, long hours, and emotionally treacherous. It's not at all like the birth stories make it sound. But that's part of why its' great.

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Specializes in OB.
The Red Tent, Baby Catcher, Delivery, Midwives, I could go on... loved those books. Still have a collection on my shelf. I was just like you- I had an inkling I wanted to be a midwife around age 17-18 (i knew I wanted to be in medicine my whole life). By 19, I had dropped out of college to attend midwifery school, and here I am 15 years later.

I will give you some words of advice that I wish someone had given me. Midwifery is a diverse profession in the US- there is more than one type of midwife, and there is wide variability in training level among them. Some midwives do not accept a science based model of care.

It is important that you pay attention to this, if you really decide to pursue midwifery. It is the most amazing career ever, but unfortunately you do have to be careful when seeking out training. As it stands right now, I encourage you to be very cautious of any program that is not affiliated with ACNM/AMCB. At this time, midwives associated with MANA/NARM are not held to any standardized level of training or expertise, and they are not widely integrated into the medical system. Career options for these types of midwives are typically very limited, since do not have the education or skills necessary to prescribe medication or work inside of a hospital.

Just trying to help you learn from my mistakes, lol. I was a granola hippy when I started college so the allure of "all natural midwifery" was strong. That decision really side tracked my career, and plus forced me to eat crow when I realized that so much of what I learned was wrong, or misguided. I now feel compelled to help others avoid the dark path into pseudoscience, lol.

I love being a midwife, I could never ever do anything else. Its hard work, long hours, and emotionally treacherous. It's not at all like the birth stories make it sound. But that's part of why its' great.

Not to derail the OP's thread, but cayenne I'm curious---I've seen comments of yours several times about your transition from a CPM to realizing that a lot of what you formerly believed was pseudoscience. If it's too personal, you certainly don't have to answer, but I'm curious what made you "see the light," so to speak, and come to grips with the fact that a lot of what you had been taught wasn't true. Was it a particular bad outcome? Or just continued experience and education in the field?

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The Red Tent peaked my interest as well!!!

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