What Type of Midwife Should You Hire? A Detailed Comparison of Each

As covered in THIS blog post, midwives are one of the oldest professions out there. In this post I am covering the nitty gritty details and comparing the various types of midwives- because there are many!

Since the beginning of time, women have been supporting women in birth. When a mother was laboring she would usually be surrounded by family and friends along with an older woman or two who would have witnessed many births throughout their lifetime. This elder possessed wisdom and knowledge about the typical process and how to support the mother if needed. This is what a midwife was- someone who witnessed physiologic birth and stepped in when asked or when she noticed a problem she thought she could assist with. Continue reading to discover the various types of midwives and the differences in their training & credentials. I believe you'll feel enlightened to know you have MANY options to choose from when picking a provider.

• Different Types of Midwives

Today many midwives choose to go through accredited educational programs which require a set amount of apprenticeship hours, a didactic curriculum, and a certification exam. There are also midwives who choose to practice the “old way” meaning they choose to do self-study and utilize an apprenticeship as their means of training. They are considered traditional or unlicensed midwives. There are also women who serve by simply being with women- meaning they attend births as a support but they are not there in any medical capacity. Some refer to themselves as birth attendants or birth keepers. There are more and more women choosing to hire midwives for their care. THIS blog post explains a fundamental reason why.

Today we have a few different types of midwives with varying credentials. There is no one greater than the other in my opinion, but the type of training they go through most definitely shapes how they support women. This is where we have to make a decision on who aligns best with what our birth goals are. Credentials don’t always mean the midwife practices strictly one way or another. They are individuals and they have their own past experiences and beliefs that shape their care.

The Different Types of Midwives: Education, Credentials, Scope of Practice

***As a quick note, from my own experience, readings, & multitude of discussions with other mamas and midwives...CPMs, DEMs, and traditional midwives are generally more hands off and comfortable with women truly leading there own care. This is not true for every provider. As previously stated, these professionals come to serve with their own past experiences and belief systems. I am not saying that a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) can't provide similar care, but from what I have gathered they tend to be more inclined to follow the medical model of care. Likewise, a CPM, DEM, or traditional midwife may choose to closely follow the medical model when supporting women.***

• Credentials Are Not Everything

Having credentials behind your name does not mean more experience or expertise. This is a topic I encourage you to sit with for a while so you can decide from a place of clarity, not impulse. I personally hired an unlicensed midwife for my second pregnancy, but to be honest I initially had yucky feelings when I discovered she did not have a license during our initial consult. I felt like a bad girl making a radical, irresponsible choice to hire an unlicensed midwife. I sat with those feelings for a few days to curiously explore where they were coming from. I came to realize it wasn’t her licensure status that made her the best fit for me- I felt so calm and empowered with her and that is what I needed...not to mention she had 30 years of experience under her belt, breech training, and she encouraged me to lead my care.

I say this because most of us have been indoctrinated to believe that one must go through an intensely structured curriculum and pass an exam to be considered legitimate, trustworthy, or knowledgeable.

I went through 4.5 years of college courses to earn my bachelors of science in nursing. When I started my first job in an ICU I worked with nurses that had 30+ years of experience. These nurses had associate degrees (most hospitals are requiring newly hired RNs to have a bachelors and they are forcing those who do not to go back to school to get one). Who do you think was more capable and knowledgeable- the fresh new grad nurse who had more schooling or the experienced nurse who had 30+ years of experience but less schooling? Who would you prefer to take care of you? 

I highly recommend interviewing multiple providers before blindly choosing one based on credentials or recommendations. I also think it is essential to sit with any triggers you noticed while reading about unlicensed midwives or birth attendants. Remember, birth is not a medical emergency. It is a normal process that is a portal to your rebirth as a mother. Do not sell yourself short when choosing who you want to stand by you during this. Maybe you do not want anybody (yes, some women choose to birth alone- known as free birth), maybe it's your partner and your sister, maybe it's a doula and midwife or maybe it's an obstetrician and labor/delivery nurse. That's up to you to decide. KEY word being decide. Please, take the time to decide. Don't just default to what you think you "should" do. This is usually rooted in societal expectations and/or lack of understanding our power. You are the one that goes through this experience and lives with the memory of it! You are worth it.

If you learned something new while reading this blog post I encourage you to click HERE to have my Birth Myth Busting Guide sent to your inbox for free! There is a lot of outdated, FALSE info floating around. Don't let that shape your own experience! I love sharing the information I have gained through my own research and experiences!

With love,

Elaina