How to find a midwife?

[Igosplat]

I am pregnant and interested in having a home-birth.  I am having trouble finding a midwife and could really use some advice on how to find one.  I know there has to be some in my area.

[gitanamama]

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I would actually just google "midwife in____ (your city)." If you live in a state where midwives can practice legally, you should have no problem coming up with a good list. Also, on the thread "Finding your tribe" here you might get some suggestions from other mamas in your area. Best of luck in your search!

[Kim L Mosny CPM]

Originally Posted by Igosplat 

I am pregnant and interested in having a home-birth.  I am having trouble finding a midwife and could really use some advice on how to find one.  I know there has to be some in my area.

BirthPartners.com

[MarleneCPM]

I suggest googling "homebirth midwife in _______"... state, not town. I am a midwife, but live in a small town. So, people in the next town, would not find me if they just looked under their town, instead of the wider area. I serve the whole  southern half of  my state! Asking at your local herb or health food store or asking a Chiropractor or Naturopathic Dr, usually works too. Most states have their own midwifery organization, you could look for too.

[phathui5]

I've seen moms ask on the Midwifery Today facebook page.

[bignerpie]

I found my midwife through my doula from my first birth. If midwives aren't licensed in your state, it might be easier to track down a doula and ask her for a recommendation. 

Good luck in your search!

[mammamo]

Agree with previous posts, I found my first through my chiropractor, and the second through a doula

[Farore]

I know this is kind of late, but ... I started out Googling. CPMs are legally allowed to attend homebirths in my state, so those are the ones I found first. I contacted one, and she wasn't taking patients, but she referred me to a CNM who lives within an hour of me. Once you have a contact in the profession, it's easier to find others who may be practicing under the radar.

Our first midwife didn't end up working out, and we are currently looking for a new midwife. I have had good luck with contacting the [State] Midwives Association (sorry for being so cryptic; we are keeping our homebirth a secret until after the fact). They list a few midwives on their website, and we got the names for several others (CPMs) by e-mailing the contact people listed there. If you live is a state where CPMs are illegal/alegal, some may seem reluctant to talk to you at first. I think you just need to assure them that you are serious about having a homebirth and not trying to spy on them, and then they are very helpful.

There is also a homebirth support group that meets monthly in our state capitol. I haven't attended a meeting, but I follow them on Facebook. That might be another way to find a midwife.

Good luck with your search!

[caroliene]

We just found our midwife on a site called NaturallyBorn, it's cool because I also found a breastfeeding specialist in my area that had good reviews so I'm definitely going to keep her number handy :)

This is where I searched: http://naturallyborn.net/