Question for Michigan MW's

[starshine1001]

I'm trying to get an idea of which route I should take as far as going back to school. I'm an RN, and I currently live in FL. In about 6 months, I'm going to take a travel contract for 2 years in California, after which I plan to go back to school to become a midwife. We plan on settling down in MI, specifically the Muskegon area (tons of family there). I know that the laws regarding midwifery are very different in MI than here in FL. So here's my question...should I take the CNM route (since I'm already a nurse) or LM/CPM? I don't want to do strictly hospital births! In fact, I'd prefer to stay OUT of the hospital. I'm a huge fan of birthing home/home births, but I don't have a good idea of how that ties into the laws for the state of MI and the education of the MW. Anyone out there who can give me some input??

[rnchrista]

Originally Posted by starshine1001

I'm trying to get an idea of which route I should take as far as going back to school. I'm an RN, and I currently live in FL. In about 6 months, I'm going to take a travel contract for 2 years in California, after which I plan to go back to school to become a midwife. We plan on settling down in MI, specifically the Muskegon area (tons of family there). I know that the laws regarding midwifery are very different in MI than here in FL. So here's my question...should I take the CNM route (since I'm already a nurse) or LM/CPM? I don't want to do strictly hospital births! In fact, I'd prefer to stay OUT of the hospital. I'm a huge fan of birthing home/home births, but I don't have a good idea of how that ties into the laws for the state of MI and the education of the MW. Anyone out there who can give me some input??

The safest route would be CNM. That said, I'm an RN doing an apprenticeship with non-nurse midwives, but I do run the risk of being charged with practicing nursing independently, or practicing outside the nurses scope of practice. It was a really tough decision for me and i did quite a bit of research and talking to other nurses that went the non nurse midwife route before I started on this path.

[starshine1001]

Bumping...

[mwherbs]

a CNM will protect your RN, but what are the CNM RR in MI? could you be an independent provider? does the law require a consulting physician or just that you have a plan to consult (there is a difference)

there is no licensing currently in MI for direct entry midwives, and thought they seem to be thriving in a grey zone right now political climates change.

[redpajama]

Well...if *I* were an RN, I would probably become a CNM, and *also* apprentice with a homebirth midwife--if that's possible. I think being a CNM might just make life easier, even if you don't intend to practice in the hospital.
Perhaps mothercat will weigh in on this--she's a CNM who practices out-of-hospital in Michigan.