NIH Policy on Midwifery

For many pregnant women, choosing a prenatal health care provider is a big decision. Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes for Health, or NIH, publishes information regarding midwifery policies and recommendations.

History

• According to Medline Plus, midwifery was established in the United States by Mary Breckenridge in 1925 when she created the Frontier Nursing Service in Kentucky. The Maternity Center Association of New York City was the first midwifery education program in the United States, which began in 1932. Today there are nearly 40 accredited midwifery programs in the United States, all of which are at colleges and universities.

Function

• Midwives are trained to provide a variety of services to women and newborn babies including family planning, managing pregnancy and birth and gynecological care. Midwives can practice in a variety of settings, including hospitals, birthing centers, private practices and in patients' homes.

Considerations

• Practicing midwives are certified and licensed in the same way as a Nurse Practitioner. The certification is regulated on two levels, the state and the national. Laws regarding practice vary by state and should be followed regardless of national certification. National certification is only available to graduates of American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) accredited nurse-midwifery programs.

Recommendations

• NIH recommends that women seek treatment only by licensed and certified nurse-midwives. Seeking pregnancy management by a midwife is recommended only for women who have uncomplicated and low-risk pregnancies. For women who have multiple births, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic illness or a history of birthing complications, midwifery is not advisable.