Certified nurse midwives (CNMs) are licensed health care practitioners educated in the two disciplines of nursing and midwifery. They provide primary health care to women of childbearing age, including preconception, prenatal, labor and delivery, postpartum, gynecological and  newborn care. They also may assist with family planning decisions, menopausal management and health maintenance and disease prevention. CNMs attend over 10 percent of the births in the United States, 96 percent of which occur in hospitals. They are able to prescribe medications in all 50 states.

Caring for women of all ages, from puberty through menopause, nurse midwives work closely with obstetricians, who provide consultation and assistance to patients who may develop complications. Often, women with high-risk pregnancies can receive the benefits of midwifery care from a nurse midwife in collaboration with an obstetrician.

Nurse midwives affiliated with Ridgeview Medical Center offer their patients many options to enhance the birthing experience, from epidural pain relief to other tools to help bring baby into the world: water birth, birthing balls, birthing stools, aromatherapy, massage and more. Nurse midwives help patients navigate through the experiences of pregnancy and childbirth, and support patients and their growing family afterward.

The American College of Nurse-Midwives accredits nurse midwifery education programs, and serves as the national professional society for certified nurse midwives in the United States. Find a nurse midwife associated with Ridgeview.