·
Myth: All midwives
practice illegally.
o Most
people do not understand that there are five different kinds of midwives, and
associate the word midwife with “lay midwives” or “granny midwives”. Certified
nurse-midwives practice legally, and have prescriptive authority, in all 50
states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
Federal law considers CNMs to be primary care providers.
·
Myth: Midwives are
uneducated.
o Starting
in 2010, the minimal requirements for entering into practice as a CNM/CM are a
graduate degree. Approximately 82% of CNMs have a master’s degree, and 4.8% are
prepared at the doctorate level.
·
Myth: Midwives only do
home births.
o Of
the CNM/CM attended births in 2009, 96.1% occurred in hospitals, 2% took place
in free-standing birth centers, and only 1.8% occurred in homes.
o Midwives
offer reproductive and primary care also.
·
Myth: You must go
“natural” if you choose a midwife.
o Midwives
may encourage alternatives to pain medication during labor, however each
patient is encouraged to seek the best pain management option for them.
o If
your plans for birth were at home or a free-standing birth center, making the
decision to receive and epidural will mean being transferred to the hospital.
In most cases, your midwife will be allowed to stay with you for support.
For
one-on-one personalized care of the healthy woman and pregnancy, choose a
midwife!
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