top of page

Interviewing a Midwife

Training

  • How did you become a midwife?

  • What was your academic training?

  • What was your clinical training?

  • How many births have you attended? 

Philosophy

  • What is your philosophy of care?

  • Why are you a midwife?

Certification

  • Are you certified as a CPM or CNM?

  • Why or why not?

Services

  • What do your services include?

  • Is prenatal care at my home or your office?

  • Where is lab work done? Is there an additional cost for lab work?

  • What lab work do you recommend?

  • How many postpartum visits to you recommend?

  • Do you offer childbirth classes?

  • Do you attend waterbirth?

  • Do you rent birthing tubs?

  • What do you expect of me (us) the expectant mother (parents)?

Assistants

  • Who will you bring to my birth: a partner, an assistant, an apprentice?

  • What is each person’s role?

 

Back Up

  • How many births do you attend per month?

  • What happens if two or more mothers are birthing at the same time?

  • Have you ever missed a birth? Why?

  • Who is your back up if you can’t make it to the birth?

  • Can I meet them in advance?

  • Do you have any time off planned during my pregnancy?

Complications/ Transport

  • What is your experience with complications and how do you handle them?

  • What equipment do you bring to births?

  • Under what circumstances would you transfer care during pregnancy, birth, or postpartum?

  • Do you have a preferred hospital that you transport to?

Payment

  • What is your fee?

  • What does it include?

  • What does it not include?

  • When does it need to be paid by?

  • Can you provide a receipt so I can submit to my insurance?

  • What is refundable or non-refundable if I move or change care providers or my care is transferred during my pregnancy?

When your interview is over, ask yourself:

  • Do I like her?

  • Do I feel comfortable with her?

  • Do I trust her?

  • Do I want her at my birth?

Types of Midwives in the OMA

 

Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)

A Midwife who has met the national standards for certification set by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM), has passed a certification exam and is qualified to provide the midwifery model of care. The NARM certification process recognizes multiple routes of entry into midwifery and includes verification of knowledge and skills and the successful completion of both a written examination and a skills assessment. The CPM certification requires training in out-of-hospital births. Oklahoma requires Licensed Midwives to hold their CPM credential.  

​

Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)

A midwife who has a degree in nursing prior to entering midwifery training, has graduated from an ACNM Certification Council (ACC) accredited graduate level educational program, and has passed a certification exam. CNMs are licensed in all states, though the scope of practice may vary from state to state.

Midwifery

The Midwives Model of Care 

 

The Midwives Model of Care is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes.

The Midwives Model of Care includes

  • Monitoring the physical, psychological and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle

  • Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support

  • Minimizing unnecessary interventions

  • Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention

The application of this women-centered model of care has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section. 

​

Copyright © 1996-2008, Midwifery Task Force, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

bottom of page