What is the process for becoming an assistant midwife?

[Funny Face]

I'm clueless and don't know if these are usually their apprentices, a nurse, someone who goes through training and is certified, how does this work? I'm a nursing student but want to know all of my options

I did a search but couldn't find this explained anywhere.

[JunipersMom]

I have either fully trained midwives, apprentices or even from time to time a doula assist at births. Depending on the mother, family and availability of other people depends on who I have assist. In a perfect world I would always have an assistant that was trained in at least CPR and NNR at every birth. If I cant get that, then I at least try to have an assistant at each birth who is there specifically to assist (not a family member etc. so that in case of emergency I can count on them to help me).
If you would like to become an assistant try and contact all the midwives in your area and give them a sort of resume showing all of the experience, classes, births etc that you have had. Tell them what your hopes are for becoming a midwife or working with midwives and then talk to them all and find the one your wishes and personality fit with. Then hope that they are taking on assistants or apprentices and go from there.

[courtenay_e]

Yup. Get involved in the birth community. Find out if you have a Birth Network in your area (if you don't, maybe start one!). Find the childbirth educators, the doulas, and the midwives in your area, and get to know them. Yes, take your CPR and NNR courses, if you can. Maybe work on a doula Cert... and let all those birth workers that you're interested in getting involved. At some point, somebody will be looking for an assistant, or KNOW somebody who's looking...and your name will come up.

[mwherbs]

one of the mws on this board teaches assistant classes