About Us

Nurse-midwives specialize in providing women's health care from puberty through and beyond menopause and are authorized to provide primary care. Nurse-midwifery services generally include annual physical exams; family planning; gynecological exams; treating infections; peri and menopausal management; care through pregnancy, labor and birth; newborn care and breastfeeding support. In Maine nurse-midwives can prescribe medication, order lab tests or imaging as needed. They work collaboratively within the medical community to make referrals and consultations with doctors, therapists, or social agencies as needed.

Maine's Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) have been delivering babies and caring for Maine women since 1974. Today there are approximately 100 CNMs in Maine with practices located throughout the state. Nurse-midwives attend 18% of all births in Maine and 25% of all vaginal births. Most of these births are in hospitals or birthing centers. Our goal is to offer high quality compassionate care, help you make informed choices and get individualized health care that is safe, supportive, and satisfying. Maine's CNMs provide care in a variety of settings: homes, health clinics, private offices, hospitals, and birthing centers. Sometimes they work for hospitals, physician practices, or have their own practices. We have CNMs that teach at colleges or precept medical students and others that combine other disciplines with nurse-midwifery like nutrition, lactation consulting, herbology, family nursing, or surgical assisting.

CNMs graduate from accredited master’s degree programs and pass a national certification examination prior to practicing. CNMs must recertify every five years. Maine Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are licensed as both Registered Nurses and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs). In addition to recertification, in Maine CNMs are also required to renew their license every two years which includes remaining clinically current as demonstrated by meeting continuing education and clinical practice requirements. The American College of Nurse-Midwives provides practice guidelines that CNMs base their clinical practice on.