Any Doulas thinking of POSSIBLY becoming a Midwife?

[happyday8598]

Down the road a bit?

Just wondering!

I would LOVE to train to be a Midwife. First thing for me in my heart is to become a Labor Assistant, but I would LOVE to eventually open my own birthing center, and work there as both a midwife AND a doula for my patients.

What are YOUR ultimate goals?

Love,
Emily

[Kelly71]

Hi Emily,
We've met twice before (formerly kellyann, now hippymama2B).
I'm taking the doula course in March with 2 friends. We are then beginning the midwifery school in Fitchburg, MA in September. Our hope is to someday open our own birth center and since each of us come to midwifery with our own strengths and interests, it will truly be a WHOLE-istic center. I would love to chat with you further about it. Email me and we can talk. BTW--pick up the Hearts and Hands Midwifery book--it's fabulous!

Warmly,
Kelly

[happyday8598]

You're the 2nd person that's recommended that book to me! Now I HAVE to check it out!!

I would LOVE to talk about this further! I have so many ideas that I would love to come to fruition, but don't know how to get the ball moving! Obviously I'm not talking about TODAY, but in the coming years, I think we'd do GREAT for women!

My motto is "Empowering Women One Birth at a Time".

Love,
Emily

P.S... I *KNOW* who you are!!! Silly!)

[SJane]

I'm always thinking about it, but I really just started my doula practice so I have a long way to go. But ultimatly, I think I will go the CNM route, or at least go to nursing school and then maybe do homebirths still. But it feels like a long time from now, I have to wait until my kids get older I think. Good luck to all of you!!

[becaratcliff]

I am going to doula training, and I also would like to open a birthing center in my area. I am hoping to go onto be a CNM. I think that a birthing center would be a great choice for women to have besides a hospital birth.

[Angiemama]

I'm working on my doula certification, but plan to get my CPM in two years, I wanted to wait until stella was a little bit older...

hippy, I want to go to the same confencece, but i'm not sure if it will interfere with my schedule. I can't remember what the march dates are, and I can't find my hands of light booklet! I may have to go to the one in April, could you let me know the march dates just in case??

[Allana]

CNM or CPM?

I am going to start my certification to become a doula, but, I too want to eventually become a midwife. I am trying to weigh my options on going the CNM route or CPM. I was wondering what everyone else thinks about the two. I really like the midwife philosophy of birth and don't want it too get lost by going to nursing school. I don't want to look and birth as being so medical. I see it more as a natural occuring event in a woman's life and I want to support her through it, not treat it. At the same time, I don't know if I will be cutting off a huge number of people by not have a degree in nursing and only being able to do homebirths. Do any of you know if you can attend hospital births without being a CNM? This is all way down the road, but I am trying to get as much information as I can.

[Angiemama]

most woman who become CNM do so b/c they want to work in hospitals or want to have privledges in hospitals. I chose CPM, because I do not want my practivce to be to medicalized and would like to focus on the natural process of birth as it's ment to be. They both have their pluses, you just have to chose what feels best for you.

[candiland]

I am definitely interested in becoming a midwife. I would like to go the CPM route; although its illegal in many states I feel I could provide better care doing what's best for my clients instead of doing what I have to do according to insurance and hospital procedures. I used a CPM for my homebirth with #1; I will be using her again for the birth of #2. All this is kind of far off for me right now, though, because I don't have the money to sign up for any more classes and courses! (I did the DONA workshops, and have everything done for Bradley certif. except for actually attend the seminar! It's just too pricey for us right now!!)

[fullcirclesb]

Hi everyone,
I'm either going to be a LM ( which is similar to CPM) or become a ND and have a midwifery practice. I'm lucky to live in Washington State where the laws provide a lot of options. One hospital has granted privledges to LM s.
I would love to have a birthing center out in the woods. Lots of trails to walk.
I will provide more comprehensive care for the postpardum woman, I feel like we as a society fall short in this area. What do you guys think?

Sarah

[roundaboutchris]

I just want to add a thought- In regards to a question about going the Midwife way or the Nurse-midwife way. If you follow your heart the right path will unfold before you. I am a firm believer in a more natural state of birthing, but I am taking the nursing route. Why? I will have more access to the women who really need me. Sometimes it takes a stronger spirit to fight the system within it's wall then it does to rebel and go elsewhere. So while I don't want to support a hospitals procedures, I know I'll be able effect a change on a wider scale than if I was on my own. I'm not dragging anybody down, we all have a similar want to change the way women birth...To a better, healthier state, for both mom and baby.... So to the lady who was thinking about which route to take....your spirit is inside of you and noone, not even a hospital can take it away if you just grasp on tight enough! Angiemama? said it's whatever feels right....and that's the truth!!!! good luck-

[Allana]

roundaboutchris,
Your point about following your heart is well taken. I do feel the same way about wanted to reach more women and being able to do that as a CNM. My biggest challenge is going back to school. I am not sure if I want to do that. Out of curiosity, how long is it going to take you and what degrees do you need to get? Can you refer me to a site that explains what you need to do as far the steps to take. I can't seem to find any detailed information about it. All of my schooling so far is in child care, so I will have to take alot of new classes. Thanks, Allana

[Mary-Beth]

From my perpective as a "patient" some advantages to seeing a nurse-midwife (CNM) in a birthing center are...

1) I established a relationship with the midwives prior to becoming pregnant by getting my annual exams and stuff through them. As nurses they care for women of all ages, from a young ladies first papsmear up through menopause and beyond.

2) the midwifery care...they (at least the group of CNM's I have experience with) are not any more "medical" and are very much in the spirit of midwifery.

3) If during labor or after delivery at the birthing center any complication arise, the midwife can go with me to the hospital and continue to care for me over there. The nurse midwives have hospital priviliedges. This helps them serve as an advocate so I receive only the intervention which is absolutely necessary, no more. And as much of my birth plans which can be maintained, continues to be honored.

As you make you plan your path, thought you might want to hear from a "patient" why I selected a CNM practice for my care.
Best Wishes!

[Alaskanmama]

I am a new doula (three births since my training 10/01) and my path has been forming before me so quickly that I haven't had time to process it all. My goal is to become a midwife, and like many of you I struggle with CNM or CPM. My heart and soul scream CPM, but my brain is whimpering CNM. I want to go back to Alaska, where I am from, and serve women who don't have a choice of the care they get. I know that as a CNM I would be more prepared for emergencies (maybe?) but I just don't know.

My second, and really the first, issue is my family. I am a devot beliver in being an at home mama. It is why I had children, it is why we stuggled for so many years, it what I belive is right for us. Then, I became a doula and I found something else that satisfies me on that level. (Do you know what I mean?) I feel guilt for being so filled with light by being away from my kiddies...does anyone else feel this way?

I really want to purse a midwifery career, but at the same time my girls (2 and 6) need me. I know many midwives that bring their children along, but I know that is impossible while training.
I have considered Seattle Midwifery School. I also thought about getting a 2 yr nursing degree, then transfering to SMS. Do you have to have a 4 yr. nursing degree to be a CNM?

My email is [e-mail] if anyone wants to hash out paths and questions and what not away from the forum.

Love to all, Alaskanmama (who by the way is living on the east coast and so desperatly wants to get back west)

[candiland]

I am familiar with a couple of ladies who started out as CPMs and went on to become CNM's. They did become much more medically oriented... you really can't go through years of fear-based medicine and not expect it to change the way you practice. I'm with all you CNMers who want to change things and help out women who wouldn't use a CPM, but from what I've heard, you do lose a lot of what makes birth a totally normal, trustworthy process.

[Mary-Beth]

medical mindset?

A person absolutely can go through nursing school and study midwifery and still come out without a "medical mindset" and true to the spirit of midwifery. I am very happy with the CNM I work with. As I mentioned it's so wonderful to build and maintain a relationship with midwife care provider prior to pregnancy and after delivery with well-woman care, anual exams, etc...And, it's been incredibly helpful for my midwife to have hospital privledges so a woman who needs to transfer to the hospital doesn't automatically get sucked into that environment and instead can only utilize the specific intervention necessary for her. As a woman who almost gave birth to a premature baby, I would have had to be in the hospital but thankfully, I would have just been using their room with the benefit having "interventions" close by if needed.. the midwife would continue to be my primary care giver and becasue I would be there with her the hospital "rules" about IV's and monitors upon adminitration would not apply to me, the nurses would not even come in the room and stuff, unless we called upon them for assistance.
I don't think being a CNM id "better" I just wanted to share with you some of the possible benefits, as I see it. There are plenty of med-wives out there but it's not all CNM's. Without a doubt, women who want a midwife need to look at more than just her title to determine how she practices and what kind of care to expect from her.

[KimRockHaven]

Doula to Midwife

I am training to become a Doula with the goal of becoming a midwife... I'm in MA. I'd get my RN first (I have two B.S. degrees not in nursing) and then go to Midwifery school. Our local hospital has a volunteer Doula program.

IMO, I think it's beneficial for a potential midwifery student to gain experience as a labor assistant/doula/monitrice before going into midwifery.

-Kim

[Lilacmoon]

[candiland]

Mary Beth -- I meant what I said as a GENERALIZATION; of course not all CNM's are more interventitive than DEMs/CPMs.... but even the most hands-off CNMs in my area must have back-up through obs/hospitals, etc., so most have to follow policies regarding the mothers and their babies, even if its not in their best interest. This includes the one or two homebirth CNMs in my area. However, the few CPMs we have around here can do what they feel is best for their clients and do not have to follow rules and regulations set up by their "higher ups".

[lovinmama]

Hi all,
I am a doula, and have recently finished school at a
direct entry midwifery school (BIRTHWISE) and while
there worked with a homebirth midwife and a nurse midwife
in a family practice.
I am very true to traditional midwifery, living in an illegal state, wanting to be able to
be with women when transport is necessary, wanting medical
backup, wanting the ability to attend more births as my children get older, to be able to take medicaid, ect.... I have decided now
to become a nurse midwife. I do not mind becoming an RN, I am quite fasinated with anatomy and physiology and some other classes that are required, as far as birth goes it will never change the way I feel about the normalcy of birth and a womens right to give birth anyway she choses. I have had a hospital birth, midwife assisted birth and an unassisted birth, I really support all women in all situations and believe birth needs to be given back to the family. I agree that for alot of people going through the medical model may change the way they think or practice ect.. I plan to take the things that will benifit me and leave the rest.
I will continue to work for respect for all types of midwives and for birthing women and their families.
Blessings
Racheal