How to Locate a Midwife

Midwives prenatal and birth care, for expectant mothers in clinics, birth centers, and hospitals. Unlike OB/GYNs, they are not trained as physicians or surgeons. If you are considering giving birth outside of a hospital setting, midwives routinely provide home births and birth center services. Some midwives also provide medical care beyond prenatal care. Some midwives are also nurses, and can provide care in a hospital setting.

Instructions

• 1

  Check your network provider directory for midwives in your area, if you have an HMO and would like your insurance to cover midwifery care. They may be listed with the OB/GYNs, but will have designations such as, CPM (certified professional midwife), or CNM (certified nurse-midwife), or LM, (licensed midwife).

• 2

  Visit an online midwife directory. BirthPartners.com offers global midwife listings. TheBirthMarket.com offers listings of midwives in the USA and Canada. MothersNaturally.org and the American College of Midwives offers listings of midwives in the USA. Use the location search to get a list of midwifes in your area.

• 3

  Contact the midwives in your area to confirm that they are accepting new patients. If you have an estimated date of delivery, give them this date. They may choose patients based on when they are due to deliver.