How can you get a midwife if you can't get a doctor?

Answer 1

I am not sure why you "can't" have a Physician, but if you would prefer to have a midwife attend your birth, there are many ways to find one. There are essentially 2 types of midwives. One, is a Certified Nurse Midwife, and the other is a Licensed, Certified, or Direct-Entry Midwife. A Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), is one who is a Registered Nurse Practitioner and has had specialized training in women's health and pregnancy. It is most common to have a CNM if you will be having a hospital birth. Some CNM's do, however attend homebirths. If you are in the United States, you can find a CNM via this website: http://www.acnm.org/ You may also opt to have a Direct-Entry midwife, a person who has had specialized training in pregnancy and birth through various methods such as private midwifery school and/or rigorous apprenticeship programs and are state licensed and/or nationally certified. Licensed Midwives most commonly attend homebirths. If you are in the United States or Canada, you can find Midwives and other birth professionals at www.birthpartners.com. Most states also have their own Midwifery chapters where you can find Midwives.