Nurse-Midwifery Care

Many women with normal, low-risk pregnancies appreciate the partnership of nurse-midwifery care. Our nurse-midwives are trained and certified to care for women during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. They also provide women’s health care across ages, including family planning, annual wellness exams and more.

Midwives recognize that, in uncomplicated cases, every stage of a woman’s life is a natural process and not a problem or disease to be managed. They see each woman as a vital leader in shared decision-making, including during birth.

Gynecology and well-woman care

Although most people think of midwives as part of the birthing process, certified nurse-midwives provide a range of care for women, from puberty through menopause and beyond. They see patients for:

• Annual physicals, including screenings and vaccinations
• Family planning
• STI testing and treatment
• Education and counseling

Our CNMs work closely with our OB/GYNs to ensure you get advanced care when needed. They also will refer you to other specialists as needed.

Pregnancy care and birth

In general, midwifery is grounded in the philosophy that pregnancy and birth are natural, healthy processes. Unless a pregnancy has a complication, it doesn’t need to be managed like an illness. Midwives provide support that reduces the need for interventions and pain management in low-risk pregnancy and birth.

We provide a particularly personalized approach, including during hospital birthing. They encourage movement during labor and understand how position changes and natural interventions like massage and breathing can encourage labor while lessening pain. Our midwifery suites offer comfort tools like a labor tub, a queen-size bed, birth balls, squatting bars, mats for kneeling and birth stools. CNMs respect each woman’s leadership in their own medical decision-making.

If you're interested in a low-intervention birth, check out our Understanding Natural Childbirth Techniques eClass or pair it with our Understanding Birth eClass.

Our CNM team work enthusiastically with our OB/GYNs in a mutually respectful partnership to give each mother the optimal care. That means if you need additional support for a higher-risk pregnancy or a consultation with a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, your midwife will help you access that care right in the same clinic.

Ready to learn more? To learn more or make an appointment with one of our certified nurse-midwives, call us at 503-261-4423.