biggolp

As a fellow new grad, a current doula and an aspiring midwife, I believe that Frontier will allow you to use doula experience in lieu of the one year of L&D experience. You might want to look into that. Good luck!

You're at an interesting impasse and I wish you the best of luck in your decision and then in your studies. I just wanted to point out that AFAIK a PA (even with an OB/GYN residency), cannot actually catch babies. If that aspect of obstetrics interests you, your best option may be midwifery (in one way or the other.) Like LibraSun, I've seen CMs and CNMs working side by side in the same positions (both in and out of the hospital) only in the New York City area.

I was considering one specific CPM that I'd been in touch with before this issue came to light. I will continue looking...

Thanks! I'll look out for such opportunities...

Thank you! Frontier is my first choice school. I've been in touch with their admissions. I will apply there as soon as I can...

I am in New Jersey. Thanks!

Thanks for your response cayenne06! I really appreciate your input. When choosing my route to midwifery, I specifically chose to become a CNM for some of those reasons. However, my heart lies in homebirth and I would love to see some of that up close IN ADDITION TO the excellent midwifery education I hope to receive from a credible CNM school. According to MANA, CPMs in my state are licensed. I hope that bodes well for me...

I am graduating with my BSN next month (yay!) and I was thinking of assisting a CPM to gain experience with homebirths. Someone mentioned to me that it might not be a good idea because if there's a negative outcome I would be held responsible since I'm the highest license there (my nursing license would trump the midwife's). Does anyone know anything about this? I would love to be at births in the home setting but have worked too hard on my nursing license to do anything that would jeopardize it. Thanks in advance for any information or opinions regarding this.

Yes. I got an answer from Admissions at FNU that they require transcripts from nursing school in their application process so there's a minimum wait of a few weeks after completing the BSN required in order to apply

Congratulations on being accepted to a midwifery program and good luck in your studies!

Thanks for the reply. I have read their admission criteria. Other birth related experience can be counted instead. I have been a birth doula and assistant midwife for some years now. I would use that experience in lieu of nursing experience.

I an entering the final semester of my BSN and wanted to apply to Frontier for midwifery. I was wondering if it was possible to apply before graduating or I need to wait until after taking my NCLEX. I have lots of other birth related experience and I understand that if I were to get accepted it would be conditional to passing my NCLEX. I searched Frontier's website and contacted admissions but have still not gotten an answer to this question. If anyone knows for sure one way or the other, please let me know. Thank you!

Thank you novice! Really appreciate it. I wish you luck on your journey and hope you find a solution to the predicament you find yourself in. I was told that NYU also graduates their midwives with a MS in Midwifery. Perhaps their graduates can help you.

Thank you, Red Krytonite, for that info. It was helpful.

Thank you for your clarifications! I also looked into that birth center and read a lot from the other midwife you provided a link for. It's really scary! But, the FSBC I worked at was NOTHING like that! It's run by CNM's who have worked for many years in and out of hospitals. They follow protocols and risk patients out all the time. That birthing center is owned and overseen by doctors. The midwives also have privileges at the local hospital and can continue care in case of transport.

I totally agree not to post on a board before you have lurked long enough to get a feeling for the 'culture' and to get to know how some of the more active posters 'speak'.

Thanks, queenanneslace, for your explanation and quotes. I have also seen many babies born with mec in the fluid and no issues, hence my question. I have another question - - the midwife in the case stated that the fluid had been clear when she first saw it (SROM?) and she was only able to see the meconium AFTER the shoulders were born. What does that mean?

I am confused. The article states: Fisher said it's possible to recover a child from meconium aspiration, but that it requires the right transition, the right technical support.” He added that there's no tell tale” signs of meconium aspiration, and that it's usually not evident until after the water breaks. Read more here: Jury: Death of baby at Fort Mill birthing center was homicide | The State The State My question is - does meconium in the fluid always indicate meconium ASPIRATION? Also, NRP gives clear guidelines for babies born with meconium and everything they recommend should be available at a FSBC. What does a hospital have for immediate use that the Birthing Center doesn't have? I do understand that had they seen meconium earlier they would have transferred. But I've been at many births where meconium isn't detected until the baby is actually born (because there was no SROM or AROM). Read more here: Jury: Death of baby at Fort Mill birthing center was homicide | The State The State

Since the job description of the midwife assistant does not require being a nurse, nurse experience is certainly not necessary. The midwife would train the assistant in what she would need to do regardless if the assistant could do things that were within the scope of nursing or not. I do know that one of the nurses did the follow-up pp visit (48 hours pp) and was able to do the hearing test and heel prick screenings (as well as check bleeding, fundus, stitches, breastfeeding, etc.)

Yes! After doula'ing at some bad hospital births, I have called a homebirth midwife friend of mine and offered to volunteer doula at a birth where she felt her client may be able to use a doula but could not afford one, just so that I can see a normal birth...

I worked as a midwife's assistant at a FSBC. I am not a nurse (yet) but got to do some clinical work (taking vitals on mom and picking up FHT, pp vitals on mom and baby, charting, etc.). The job description is very different than the doula'ing I do which plays no clinical role and is only there to support the birthing woman. Although I got to do some doula'ing (as an assistant) when there was time, my primary job was to ASSIST the MIDWIFE. I had to set up the birth room, take and chart vitals, check O2 and suction prior to birth, anticipate midwife's needs during birth - new gloves? more lube? hold lidocaine, get more chux, etc. Postpartum, I had to announce 1 minute and 5 minutes for APGARS, took vitals, assisted with breastfeeding, and cleaned up. Some of the assistant were nurses and might have been able to start IVs (if necessary), but the clinical work and the patient education in OOH births is usually done by the midwife herself (so it is not necessary for the assistant to have medical training). As someone else pointed out, I am NRP certified so that I can be the other person to help in case baby needed resucitation.

I assume that it is NOT a coincidence that in a place where doctors do minimal interventions and listen to laboring patients, there is also a low c-sec rate

Like MidwifeMinded, I am also a doula and aspiring midwife. I have found what MidwifeMinded said to be absolutely true! I love that being on-call and being in the birth arena has provided me with so much information and experience. I learn from every birth and every provider. (Sometimes I learn from providers what NOT to do...) I also work hand in hand with awesome back-ups that I feel very comfortable handing my clients over to in the case that I can't be at their birth (hasn't happened yet, though).

Thank you, queenanneslace, for your honesty. I've been lurking on these boards for a while now and have actually seen the shift in your perspective. I seriously considered going the CM route (I have a prior bachelors degree and I live in NY), but after a lot of soul-searching I am now enrolled in a BSN program and going for the CNM credential. As much as I originally hated the thought of going through nursing school just to get to midwifery, I am now looking forward to learning new things (even if they won't all be directly related to midwifery). I do not yet know if I will go straight to midwifery (after my BSN) or I will get to work in L&D first, but I feel better about the nursing aspect now even though I am not a nurse at heart; I am a midwife at heart

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