“Research shows us that midwifery care is the safest care for a low-risk woman. We’re the experts in normal pregnancy and birth.”
— Colleen Donovan-Batson, CNM
The Midwifery Model of Care
The midwifery model of care is built on the philosophy that pregnancy, labor, and birth are normal, natural life processes and that medical intervention during childbirth should only happen when truly medically indicated.
Traditional care providers around pregnancy and birth in every corner of the world for centuries, midwives still attend the vast majority of births throughout the world. Globally, four in five women utilize a midwife for care during the birthing year. An increasing number of women in the U.S. are seeking midwifery care as they recognize that midwives are highly skilled practitioners who use evidence-informed care and love to support healthy pregnancies, low-intervention births, and optimal postpartum recoveries.
Midwifery in Ohio
Midwifery in the U.S. is a bit confusing. It’s especially confusing in states like Ohio. Consumers are often unaware of the legislation (or lack of it) that exists around the practice of midwifery. This reality sometimes limits consumer access to transparent, well integrated community midwifery care and its benefits. We believe that understanding the structure of the practice of midwifery when choosing a provider is the first part of informed consent. Here are the basics…
Types of midwives practicing in the U.S. (we support all midwives and support the family’s right to a provider of their choice):
Certified nurse midwives (CNM)
Certified nurse midwives have completed both nursing school and an additional graduate degree in midwifery. They’re qualified to work in all birth settings including hospitals, homes, and birth centers. In Ohio, CNMs have prescriptive authority and can provide primary care for women in addition to care during pregnancy and birth. Ohio requires CNMs and other advanced practice nurses to have a “Standard Care Arrangement” (SCA) with a physician, making it difficult (but not impossible!) for CNMs to attend births in the community setting. Ohio HB 221 was recently introduced to address the SCA restriction.
Certified midwives (CM)
Certified midwives have the same graduate-level training and education as certified nurse midwives and differ from CNMs only in that they are not also licensed as nurses. They take the same exam as nurse midwives through the American Midwifery Certification Board. CMs are currently only licensed to practice in Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Virginia.
Certified professional midwives (CPM)
Certified professional midwives work exclusively in settings outside of hospitals, such as homes and birth centers. There are currently a few routes to this certification that include coursework, apprenticeship, and a national certifying exam. CPMs are licensed to practice in 35 states, though many of them work in states where they’re not recognized. Ohio does not recognize or license CPMs at this time, but there is some current movement around legislation/licensure of CPMs in the state.
Traditional/unlicensed midwives
Traditional midwives have chosen not to pursue certification or licensure, and usually serve birthing families in home settings. Their training and background varies but often includes an apprenticeship model. Traditional/unlicensed midwives frequently serve specific communities, such as indigenous communities or religious populations like the Amish. There is no legislation of traditional midwives in Ohio.