Midwifery
A midwife is an expert in normal birth deliveries and is recognized worldwide as an important medical professional in providing maternity care to women.
Used in assisting childbirth for thousands of years, you will find nurse-midwives as part of maternity teams in hospitals, birthing centers, private practices and home settings.
As trained medical professionals, midwives provide care, education, counseling and support to women and newborns during their pregnancy and the postpartum period. The care they provide includes:
- Monitoring the physical, psychological and social well-being of mothers throughout their childbearing period.
- Providing mothers with specialized and individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care.
- Delivering ongoing hands-on assistance during labor and delivery as well as postpartum support.
- Identifying and referring women requiring the obstetrical attention.
Important facts to know about midwives
- Certified nurse-midwives are registered nurses who have completed graduate-level training in midwifery and who have passed a national certification exam.
- Nurse-midwifery practice is legal in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- Nurse-midwives can prescribe medication in 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- Nurse-midwives practice in homes, birth centers, clinics, and hospitals.
- 33 states mandate private insurance reimbursement for nurse-midwifery services, and Medicaid reimbursement is mandatory in all states.
Meet the DTW Midwives
