Nurse Midwife Services

What is a Nurse Midwife?

What is a Certified Nurse-Midwife?

Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are licensed healthcare practitioners educated in the two disciplines of nursing and midwifery and are certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board. CNMs must complete a graduate level education program that is nationally accredited, must pass a rigorous national certification exam, and in Colorado, CNMs must maintain their RN licensure.

The heart of midwifery care is the philosophy that pregnancy, birth, and transitions through life’s stages are normal events. Midwifery care focuses on safe, personalized, and evidence-based care with an emphasis on the woman as an active partner in her own health.

CNMs provide health care for women, offering an individualized approach to care. Midwifery care includes preconception care, prenatal care, labor & delivery care, care after birth, gynecological exams, newborn care, family planning and birth control, menopausal care, and counseling in health maintenance and disease prevention. CNMs also provide primary health care. Nurse-midwives listen to women, educate women, and encourage women to take an active role in their healthcare. Nurse-midwives are experts in normal pregnancy, birth, the postpartum period and well women gynecology. Nurse-midwifery care is woman-centered, holistic and based on the philosophy that health care should be safe and satisfying. Nurse-midwives are committed to promoting the health of women through complete and evidence-based information, autonomy in decision-making and support of the normalcy of pregnancy, birth and the many other cycles in the lives of women. Nurse-midwives are qualified to prescribe medications, perform medical procedures and utilize medical technology within their scope of practice, and as medically necessary. Nurse-midwives maintain established relationships with physicians for consultation, collaboration, or referral as needed

In Colorado, CNMs are independent licensed practitioners. There are close to 300 CNMs in our state.  10% of all births in Colorado are attended by CNMs.

·         Most women are great candidates for nurse-midwifery care