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Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are healthcare professionals who have received advanced training to perform all aspects of routine maternity and gynecological care. Educated as registered nurses and as midwives, CNMs are nationally certified by the Midwifery Certification Board.
They provide care during pregnancy, labor, birth and the postpartum period as well as gynecological services including annual physical exams, Pap smears, family planning (birth control), pre-conception counseling, PMS/menstrual problems and hormone replacement therapy. Certified Nurse-Midwives and the safe, highly satisfying care they offer are quickly gaining popularity in the United States. Currently, 11,826 CNMs provide care for females of all ages in every state, while attending more than 330,000 births each year. The majority of CNMs provide care in hospitals, birth centers and clinics.
The CNM manages the care of her patients independently, as long as the care remains uncomplicated. Each CNM has a practice agreement with consulting physicians who are available to the CNM on a 24-hour basis. In addition to their technical skills, nurse-midwives are particularly skilled at counseling and educating their patients. A CNM is well informed about nutrition, childbirth preparation, breastfeeding, sexuality and alternative therapies. As specialists in normal gynecology/obstetrics, CNMs take a holistic approach to your healthcare. A nurse-midwife is an expert in supporting women through labor and in using medical and nonmedical techniques to hasten and ease the birth process. Midwifery care emphasizes prevention of complications through screening and patient teaching.
CNMs continue the with-woman philosophy of care as they listen to questions and concerns and empower women to make informed decisions. CNMs offer an alternative to the traditional medical model by providing personalized care and addressing social, cultural and emotional issues as well as physical concerns. CNMs support and nurture women through birth while viewing the birth as a healthy life event. The CNM philosophy holds that women are ultimately responsible for the maintenance of their own health. By providing information, guidance and support, CNMs believe that they allow their clients to actively participate in their own care and make the best healthcare choices.