FOR FAMILIES
Explore Midwifery Care
Choosing midwifery care begins with asking questions and finding a clinician whose approach fits your needs. Learn about midwifery, explore care options, and connect with participating midwives across South Carolina.
Start with the essentials
Learn about midwifery, different birth settings, and questions to ask when choosing a care provider.
01
What Is a Midwife?
Learn about the care Certified Nurse-Midwives and Certified Midwives may provide during pregnancy, birth, postpartum, reproductive and gynecologic care, primary care, and care of healthy newborns.
02
Where Can I Give Birth?
Explore hospital, birth center, and home birth settings, and learn what to consider when choosing the setting that fits your health needs, preferences, and available care options.
03
How Do I Choose a Provider?
Prepare for your first conversation with questions about experience, philosophy of care, birth settings, hospital relationships, insurance, communication, and follow-up care.
Care throughout your journey
Midwifery care can include prenatal care, labor and birth support, postpartum care, gynecologic and reproductive health services, primary care, and care for healthy newborns. Available services vary by clinician, practice, care setting, and applicable licensing.
Pregnancy and prenatal care
Routine prenatal visits, health education, screening, shared decision-making, and preparation for labor and birth.
Labor, birth, and postpartum care
Support through labor and birth, postpartum follow-up, recovery, feeding questions, and transition into the newborn period.
Gynecologic, reproductive, and primary care
Depending on the clinician and practice, care may include routine gynecologic services, reproductive health, family planning, preconception care, and primary care.
Care for healthy newborns
Newborn assessment, early feeding support, health education, and coordination of follow-up care as appropriate to the practice and setting.
FIND CARE IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Ready to connect with a midwife?
Use the SC Midwives directory to search participating midwives by name, practice, city, ZIP code, or practice setting. Directory listings are published only with documented consent.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a CNM and a CM?
Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are registered nurses who complete graduate-level midwifery education and national certification. Certified Midwives (CMs) complete graduate-level midwifery education and national certification through a non-nursing pathway. Availability and licensing of credentials vary by state.
Do midwives only provide pregnancy and birth care?
No. Depending on the clinician, practice, setting, and applicable licensing, midwives may also provide gynecologic and reproductive health services, family planning, preconception care, primary care, postpartum care, and care for healthy newborns.
Where do midwives practice?
Midwives may practice in hospitals, clinics, private practices, community settings, birth centers, homes, and through telehealth. Not every setting or service is available in every community.
How do I know if a midwife is right for me?
Start by identifying your health needs, preferred care setting, insurance requirements, and the type of relationship you want with your clinician. Ask about credentials, services, communication, referral relationships, and how the practice handles situations that require additional medical care.
Ready to explore your options?
Learn more about midwifery care or search participating midwives across South Carolina.