Do hb midwives ever need RNs? - Page 2

[bobandjess99]

One of the local CNM's who does homebirths uses RN's as her assistants. (And EMT's). she is a little too medicalized for me personally, but many love her.

[TattooedMama]

Hi paintedbison!
I worked as a MW assistant after becoming a doula and then all through nursing school. I then worked as an RN/MW assistant in birth center and homebirth with various CNM's. (I live in a DEM illegal state )
I say go for it! Contact and meet the local MW's and offer to precept or attend births as an observer for free so you can see what out of hospital birth is like. Or I would highly suggest doing something like the Farm workshop or a BirthWorks conference to "unlearn" some of the medical management that you are probably used to in the hospital.
Maybe you will discover that you are best suited to be an awesome natural birth advocate in the hospital, or maybe you will have found a new calling.
At my first homebirth (me personally as a woman, not as a doula ) there was a nurse observing and precepting with the CNM to join her practice and work as an assistant. Her background was in NICU.... and that was the one and only homebirth she did. It was beyond her comfort level and I'm glad she was able to find that out early on. I hear she is a great NICU nurse though. FWIW my birth was fairly easy, no complications, no neonatal resus, it was just not going to be her thing.
Best wishes to you as you branch out in your birth work. :
Jessica