midwifery

[taima]

i need to know if anyone has any information on becoming a midwife i am looking it that direction for a carrer also i need to know if anyone knows about free baby stuff and i am also nursing my 19 month old please feel free to give me your comments and tips on that thanx

[rainanoelle]

I saw a webpage recently that has info on this...

http://www.midwiferytoday.com/

If you go there and look on the left there is a link called "Become a Midwife." I am not sure if the info is helpful or not, but perhaps it is a place for you to start! =)

Good luck in your endeavors!
Raina

[alandbaby]

be sure to check out state regulations on midwifery - states have varying degrees of regulation and some require you to be a certified nurse midwife to practice midwifery. I recommend checking into nursing school b/c I think you really need the nursing/medical background to safely deliver babies - you will probably be more confident about your overall knowledge base too (and your clients may be too). I think you need to be a nurse and then get extra training in midwifery to be a certified nurse midwife - but it is an excellent career - and highly respected. If you never did the extra training you could still be a maternity nurse after you became an RN - nurses are in high demand right now - and you could really help mothers and babies this way.

[Rachels]

I wrote my dissertation on midwifery, and there are many paths to becoming a midwife. Whether you choose to become a CNM or a direct-entry midwife, going through an accredited midwifery school will provide you with ample training to safely attend pregnant women and their babies. Check the Midwifery Today website and also the Midwives' Alliance of North America website (www.mana.org, I think). You can also look up childbirth centers online at www.birthcenters.org, which lists all the midwife-run birth centers nationwide. If there is one in your area, you might consider speaking with some of the midwives there to find out about how they got their training. Good luck and good for you! Seeking to help to empower women in their births is a noble goal.

[katzenkowz]

I know all the midwives I have at my OB are CNWs, and that would be my preference over a non-nursing background I think. But there are doulas, too--prefessional labor support people, and there'a a national association for them too and formal training--ceck with your OB's office about careers in delivering babies other than being an MD.

[sntm]

A friend from college went to the midwifery school at Vanderbilt and loved it there. She did not have a nursing degree but did have a BA in biology. She's now doing a MPH at Harvard -- which indicates how respected the program is.

shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever