Which states are CNMs permitted to do homebirths?

Specialties Ob/Gyn

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I am a pre-nursing student with the long-time goal of becoming a midwife. Since I love homebirth and believe that it is ultimately best for many women/families, I would like to know if anyone knows where to find a list of states where homebirth by nurse-midwives is legal. Anyone?

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

The problem with doing a homebirth as a CNM is that you must have physician collaboration. Most physicians would not collaborate on homebirths. I think you will find that very few CNMs do homebirths - most homebirths are attended by CPMs or DEMs.

You might have better luck asking in the CNM forum. There are several threads on this topic there.

I'm pretty sure that in IL, it's illegal for a CNM to attend a homebirth. That's the only state I know about, though. I know it's legal in CO and AZ, but for the aforementioned reasons, it just doesnt' happen too often. Most of the time, when you have a woman who wants a birth outside of a hospital that's attended by a CNM, she would go to a FSBC.

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Specializes in ICU.

I know in Texas they can attend home births.

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, LTC.

go to mothering.com. There is an area in the forum section for home births. Many of the women on this site have home births, and may be able to assist you. Good luck!

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I'm pretty sure that in IL, it's illegal for a CNM to attend a homebirth. That's the only state I know about, though. .

It's definitely legal in IL- I had a CNM attended homebirth there a year ago! And two of my CNM friends own homebirth practices there. MANA has a summary here: http://mana.org/laws.html that mostly addresses CPM/CM but has info about CNMs as well. Basically the restrictions on homebirth practice come from collaborative agreement requirements, not from the laws themselves.

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New York is one...

I had a homebirth in Mass and used a CPM

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

It's legal in CT though I think there is only one CNM group in the whole state that will do it.

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Legal in NY!

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Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.

Legal in NH. And contrary to what an above poster said, they do not need physician oversight to attend home births in that state.

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Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.

Not in Alabama, for sure. It is illegal for midwives, period, regardless of education, to attend a homebirth. Alabama has a very strong physicians' lobby. Who cares if some women have a 2 hour trip one way to get to a hospital that delivers, that's the "safe" way to do it!:sarcastic:

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
Legal in NH. And contrary to what an above poster said, they do not need physician oversight to attend home births in that state.

Not physician oversight, but collaboration. Such as, do you have an accepting physician if you need to transport? I know many midwives just take them (or dump them, sadly) at the ER, but it's much safer and better for the family if she has a collaborative agreement with a physician who has privileges somewhere.

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Not physician oversight, but collaboration. Such as, do you have an accepting physician if you need to transport? I know many midwives just take them (or dump them, sadly) at the ER, but it's much safer and better for the family if she has a collaborative agreement with a physician who has privileges somewhere.

Some states require collaboration and some don't. It seems safer to require this but it really doesn't accomplish a lot other than restrict practice. My state law requires a physician in the state, so they could be 4-5 hours away and still meet the requirement but are surely no help in an emergency. In a non-emergency situation I am not going to refer my patient to them, I am going to send them to someone local. (For the record, I work in an academic medical center, I'm not a homebirth midwife). Even if I have a local doc, if I have a true emergency I am going to get the closest/fastest option, not wait for my doc to show up.

A family practice doc is not required to have a collaborating cardiologist or ENT in order to see patients for BP management or sore throats. The scope of practice in OB is the same as for a CNM or family practice doc. The same principles should apply.

Ideally, there is a local hospital with 24 hour in house anesthesia and OB. I wouldn't consider a transfer anywhere else in an emergency. Ideally, transfer wouldn't be hostile and midwives would not have to "dump" their patients for fear of prosecution or harassment. An Emergency room is hardly in a position to be upset about receiving an emergency in any case.

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