9. How Do I Become A Midwife?
Description
This article is from the Midwifery FAQ, by cnmpat@aol.com (Pat Sonnenstuhl) with numerous contributions by others.
9. How Do I Become A Midwife?
There are many different paths to becoming a midwife. Which path you choose
will depend on many factors: where you live, what the rules and regulations
are in your state or country which govern midwives, your age and
education, and what sorts of experiences you have had with birthing. The
most important thing is that you need to look at your reasons for
wanting to become a midwife are, both short term and long term.
This will help you determine which path is best for you. The resource
published by Midwifery Today, "Getting an Education: Paths to Becoming a
Midwife" gives good guidance and information about the various paths to
becoming a midwife.
Some women start as childbirth educators and/or doulas to see how it
feels to them. I started as a childbirth educator, and offered to labor
support births with my students. It reaffirmed my decision to become a
midwife, and the fire within me became very strong. I lived in
California at the time, and already had a 2 year degree in nursing, so
decided upon sought a Certificate program, through the University of
Mississippi, which was one year. I could have done things differently,
but this path seemed the best one for me at the time. While teaching
childbirth classes and gaining experiences with childbirth, I soon met
midwives and others interested in birthing. I observed many different
types of births and began develop a personal philosophy about birthing.
I also became good friends with a midwife, and she mentored me to help
me gain experience. She was an unlicensed midwife who became an RN at 35
and then a CNM. She has practiced in every type of setting as a midwife,
including a private home birth practice and large Health Maintenance
Organization (HMO) practice.
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