Frequently Asked Questions

No. Nurse midwives may assist you with birth at home, in a birth center, or in a hospital. The majority of certified nurse-midwives in Maine attend births in hospitals or birthing centers.

Not at all. Midwives believe strongly that you are the best judge of your needs. Our role is to educate you about the benefits and risks of all your options. Midwives respect that every woman is different and will tailor their support to your labor and your style. This may include support of hypnobirthing and relaxation techniques, use of showers or tubs, massage, or the use of pain relieving medications and epidurals.

Absolutely! Many women do not realize that Nurse Midwives provide primary care and well women gynecology. This includes annual exams, family planning, STI checks, pap smears, preventive health services and peri- and post- menopausal care. Nurse midwives can order lab tests and medications as needed.

Yes, there are different types of midwives who practice in Maine. While philosophical similarities exist, there are considerable differences in education, practice guidelines, and practice locations. Nurse-midwives are Registered Nurses (RNs) with advanced education and training in midwifery and women's health who hold a national credential from the American College of Nurse Midwives(ACNM) titled Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM). A Masters of Science (MS) degree is currently required for entry into practice as a CNM in Maine.

Maine Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are licensed both as Registered Nurses and as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN). They provide care according to the American College of Nurse-Midwives guidelines, and State of Maine Board of Nursing Statutes. We provide midwifery and women's health care in homes, hospitals, clinics, and birthing centers. Click "About Us" for more information on Nurse-Midwifery in Maine.

Certified Midwives (CM) are midwives with a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing. They have the same midwifery education and pass the same national certification exam as CNMs and provide the same services. 

You might also hear about midwives with the CPM credential, which stands for Certified Professional Midwife, a direct-entry (non-nursing) midwifery credential. Certified Professional Midwives are educated through a different process regulated by the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC), and credentialed by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM). The education of Certified Professional Midwives is specific to homebirth practice, for healthy women with term pregnancies who wish this birth option. There is no degree requirement. For more information on CPMs visit www.nacpm.org

Midwives specialize in caring for low risk normal pregnancies and births in all their variations and in routine women's health care. Nurse midwives believe that puberty, childbirth, and menopause are all normal transitional times in a woman's life. We are educated to support healthy, natural processes and give individualized care. Obstetricians expertise and training is caring for high risk situations, diagnosing disease, treating abnormalities and doing surgery.
*For more on nurse midwifery education or services go to About Us. 

Recognizing and dealing with emergencies is an important part of Nurse midwifery training. Should a serious problem arise, all Nurse midwives have collaborating physicians who provide consultation and assistance if things don't go as planned. Normal pregnancies that turn high risk are often co-managed between certified nurse-midwives and physicians. Many CNMs assist with surgery should a C-section be needed.

Many services provided by nurse-midwives in Maine are covered by major carriers including MaineCare. Of course, every policy is different so to be sure to check.

Go to our Find a Nurse-Midwife page to locate a midwife near you. Click below to find a CNM outside of Maine.