[caitlinsmom]

I want to be a midwife, but I want to know what is the best/most practicle education. Should I look more at a school program or through apprenticeship? What provides the best education and experiances for me to learn and gain knowledge from? Is apprenticeship, then how do I go about finding someone to work under???

TIA.

 

[homemademomma]

well, you want to go through a program that is accredited by MEAC (midwives education accreditation committee, i think??). in some states, like fla, the school may also be recognized by the DoE. i personally think an apprenticeship based program is best, with some classroom stuff on the side to round out your knowledge base, because midwives dont often see deviations from normal, or big scary complications, so it is really important to learn that stuff elsewhere so you will recognize it when you see it. i go to a school that is heavy on the classroom stuff, and almost as heavy on the apprenticing. the classwork definitely seems to be priority, though, which really bothers me. i think you learn way more from real life experience. i go to the florida school of traditional midwifery. i love love love it, and even though its not perfect, i would highly recommend it.
if you go the apprenticeship route, you may not be able to get a legal license. however, if you wanted to do it, you should just call up midwives in your area and ask. most are more than willing to take on a student.

good luck sister!

 

[Arwyn]

I urge you to read the book Paths to Becoming a Midwife: Getting an Education, edited and published by Midwifery Today (www.midwiferytoday.com). It talks about many (all?) of the ways of becoming a midwife, honestly describing the advantages and disadvantages of each.

And although I think attending a MEAC-accredited school is a wise path (and it is the one I'm hoping to follow), it's hardly the only one worth considering. The path you choose to follow will depend on where you want to go! (For instance, attending a MEAC-accredited school is certainly the easiest way to get to a CPM - but that's not the only way to be a midwife!)

The best of luck as you start on your path.

 

[caitlinsmom]

Searching around all my options I can across this study program:

www.ancientartmidwifery.com

Anyone heard of this program or used it? I didnt look into it too deeply so let me know.

Thanks for the pp, I think in some ways I will learn better reading and studying it before applying to the real world, but I also like a lot of hands on....such a tough choice.

 

[pamamidwife]

AAMI is highly respected. I would find out the rules and regulations re: homebirth midwifery in your state and go from there. Some women are ok with practicing underground, others are not. It's a good place to start in regards to how you'll be educated (some states, like WA, FL, AZ, etc. require that a midwife attend a formal school).

It also depends upon your philosophy and how you learn best. Some women are mothers and want a more laid-back pace, others want a more formal in-class curriculum.

Either way, midwives have been learning from each other before the creation of schools and textbooks. It's definitely gotten easier for student midwives to learn (especially with the Internet!) and so many more options are available than 20 years ago.

Good luck!

 

[fourgrtkidos]

I am an RN and am finally going to start school this year also. I am in Florida. I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for opening up this conversation.

 

[Arwyn]

I'm currently enrolled in AAMI's Introductory course (6 month instead of 39 month!). It's amazingly in-depth - or rather, encourages you to go in-depth, which I (being an unschooler at heart!) much prefer.

I think if you're investigating programs, and aren't sure which way to go, or know you want to do something that you can't start immediately (for instance, I'm hoping to attend Birthingway College in Portland, Oregon - but I'm currently living in Indiana!), then I'd highly recommend the intro course. Be forewarned, though: although the course is cheap, the books you'll need/want for the course are quite expensive. I already have quite a collection of lay-type books (including Ina May's Guide and Heart and Hands), but had to (although it's not explicitly required, they're really necessary, not to mention desireable) purchase Varney's Midwifery, and Anne Frye's Guide to Diagnostic Tests and Holistic Midwifery Vols I & II - which added up to about $250, much more than the course alone cost. I still need at least a good medical dictionary, and I'd find about another $500's worth of books highly useful - but who has that kind of money?

And, of course, the full couse requires even more books...

Anyway, yes, it's a highly respected program. Its only major downside - and again, this only matters depending on the legalities of your state and your chosen path - is that it's not certified with anyone, so you don't "get" anything (other than an amazing amount of knowledge, of course!). If that matters to you, there are other programs out there. If not, it's potentially a really good value.