Birth Wellness - Today's Midwife

	We are nationally certified, state licensed, educated, equipped and woman-centered.

	Being a midwife today requires not only good clinical skills but also a broad understanding of the social and emotional adaptation to birth, which a woman must go through. A midwife must be clinically skilled and able to bring "woman-centered" practice to life. Building on changes which have occurred in midwifery in the past decade, "the new midwife" is a trained professional who specializes in normal childbirth. She offers expert care, education, counseling and support to a woman and her newborn during the childbearing cycle.

	Nationally Certified and State Licensed
	Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) are midwives with formal training who have met a specific standard for education and who have documented a minimum number of experiential hours in prenatal, birth and postpartum care. They have attained competency in various areas considered "core competencies" for midwifery practice and have passed a standardized examination on these topics. National Certification takes, on average, about three years to complete. CPMs qualify for licensing in states that offer licensing options. Tennessee, along with about 22 other states, offers Licensure to practice midwifery. Georgia and Alabama do not offer Licensure at this time. Continuing education is required to maintain certification.
	Equipped
	Midwives working in a home setting are well outfitted with essential material and equipment. Instruments, thermometer, blood pressure cuff, stethescope, newborn resuscitation bag and mask, baby scale, and sterile supplies are among some of the items you will find in a midwife's bag. Midwives also carry and administer medications such as Oxytocic drugs for hemorrhage, local anesthesia for suturing, oxygen, eye prophylaxis and Vitamin K for the baby.
	Safe
	Published in the June 18 issue of the North America British Medical Journal, the study found that “planned home births for low risk women in the United States are associated with similar safety and less medical intervention as low risk hospital births.” Safety of Homebirth , publication by the BMJ National Organizations Midwives Alliance of North America North American Registry of Midwives Citizens for Midwifery The Big Push for Midw ives
	Woman Centered
	The hallmark of midwifery is the time they spend with a woman. The national average time that a woman spends with her obstetrician in a prenatal visit is 10 minutes. The average prenatal visit with a midwife is one hour. The value of spending time with a woman during a prenatal visit cannot be overemphasized. It lays the foundation for providing support, education and information. The concept of education and providing complete information is based on the principle that parents are qualified to make decisions concerning their pregnancy and birth. Midwives encourage women to be involved in active, ongoing participation and decision making in all aspects of their pregnancy and birth. They are committed to helping women identify areas where they can help themselves to have the healthiest possible pregnancy and birth experience. Concurrently, the time that a midwife spends with a woman plays a vital role in building trust and mutual respect. This important part of the relationship contributes to an atmosphere of comfort during the birth process and diminishes unwarranted anxiety of both parents-to-be.

Today's Midwife