What is a Midwife?
The word midwife has been used for centuries to describe a woman who is "with women" at birth. A midwife was traditionally an older female in the family or the community. The vast majority of professional midwives in the United States are Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) and Certified Midwives (CMs); according to the American Midwifery Certification Board. Today, the word indicates a philosophy of care that focuses on the specific needs of women, offers a variety of options, and minimizes unnecessary intervention; and the individuals who hold that title are highly educated professionals who work collaboratively with physicians.

What is the American College of Nurse-Midwives?
With approximately 7,000 members, the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) is the largest and oldest standard-setting organization for the midwifery profession in the United States. We are proud of the reputation earned over the last 75 years by our certified midwife (CM) and certified nurse-midwife (CNM) members. There are currently 11,320 CNMs and CMs, the number in the United States has more than doubled in the last 10-15 years In 2005, the most recent year which data is available from the National Center for Health Statistics, there were 306,377 CNM-attended births in the U.S. Midwife-attended births account for 11.2 percent of all vaginal births that year. The number of CNM-attended births has increased every year since 1975, the first year the NCHS began collecting this data.

How do I decide on midwifery care?
Nurse-midwifery practice is legal in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Thirty-three states mandate private insurance reimbursement for nurse-midwifery services and Medicaid reimbursement is mandatory in all states.
Over 50 percent of certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs) list physician practices or hospitals as their principal employers. (7)
The majority of midwife-attended births occur in hospitals. In 2005, 98 percent of midwives’ deliveries occurred in hospitals, 1 percent in freestanding birth centers and 1percent were homebirths. (1)
Nurse-midwives have prescription writing authority in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, and Guam. (6)

Midwives Provide a Variety of Services.
Of patient visits to CNMs and CMs, 90 percent are for primary, preventive care which includes gynecologic care. Examples of this kind of care include annual exams and reproductive health visits. Midwives know that healthy mothers mean healthy, happy babies and families. Midwives also know that a healthy lifestyle means taking care of you and your family every day, not just during pregnancy and birth. That's why midwives are committed to providing quality healthcare, from birth and beyond.

Making a midwife your primary care provider means your midwife is there for gynecological care, breast exams, heart screenings, and more. You can receive adolescent and midlife care, as well as prenatal and pregnancy care all from the same place, with a midwife you trust.

• Gynecological Care
• Menopause
• Adolescent Health
• Contraception