MIDWIFERY 101
What Is a Midwife?
Midwives are health care professionals who provide personalized, evidence-informed care across pregnancy, birth, postpartum, reproductive and gynecologic health, primary care, and the newborn period.
AT A GLANCE
Midwifery is more than birth care
Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) and Certified Midwives (CMs) are nationally certified midwifery professionals educated at the graduate level. Their national professional scope includes care during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum; sexual and reproductive health; gynecologic care; family planning and preconception care; primary care across the lifespan; and care for healthy newborns.
CREDENTIALS
CNM and CM: what do the letters mean?
Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)
A CNM is a registered nurse who completes graduate-level midwifery education through an accredited program and earns national certification through the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB).
CNMs combine nursing preparation with graduate midwifery education and must meet the licensing requirements of the state where they practice.
Certified Midwife (CM)
A CM completes graduate-level midwifery education through an accredited program and earns national certification through AMCB, but enters the profession through a non-nursing educational pathway.
CNMs and CMs are educated to the same ACNM core midwifery competencies and take the same national AMCB certification examination. Legal recognition of the CM credential varies by state.
CARE ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
What care can midwives provide?
Depending on credentials, licensing, setting, and the individual practice, midwifery care may include:
Pregnancy & Prenatal Care
Routine prenatal care, health assessment, screening, education, shared decision-making, and preparation for labor and birth.
Labor & Birth
Care during labor and birth, including ongoing assessment, support, clinical management, and coordination with other members of the health care team when needed.
Postpartum Care
Recovery, physical and emotional well-being, feeding support, contraception, health education, and follow-up after birth.
Gynecologic & Reproductive Health
Routine gynecologic care, sexual and reproductive health services, family planning, contraception, screening, and preconception care.
Primary Care
Health promotion, disease prevention, wellness counseling, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment within the clinician’s scope and practice setting.
Healthy Newborn Care
Assessment and care of healthy newborns during the early newborn period, along with education and coordination of follow-up care.
WHERE MIDWIVES PRACTICE
Midwifery care happens in many settings
Midwives may practice in a range of health care environments. The settings available to you depend on your community, your health needs, and the individual practice.
- Hospitals
- Outpatient clinics and medical practices
- Community health settings
- Birth centers
- Home birth practices, where legally available and offered
- Telehealth for appropriate services
TEAM-BASED CARE
How do midwives work with other clinicians?
Midwives practice within a health care system that includes consultation, collaboration, and referral when a patient’s needs fall outside the midwife’s scope or when additional expertise is appropriate.
The exact relationships and requirements vary by state law, practice setting, and organization. Families can ask how a practice handles consultation, transfer of care, hospital relationships, emergencies, and access to specialists.
Questions you can ask
- What are your credentials and certification?
- What services do you provide?
- Where do you attend births?
- How do you work with physicians and other specialists?
- What happens if I need a higher level of care?
- Which hospitals or facilities are part of your referral or transfer plan?
SOUTH CAROLINA
Understanding credentials in our state
In South Carolina, Certified Nurse-Midwives are licensed as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) through the South Carolina Board of Nursing. Current state requirements govern APRN licensure, practice, and prescriptive authority.
Because licensing rules can change, families should verify a clinician’s current credentials and license before choosing care. The legal recognition of other midwifery credentials may differ from the CNM pathway.
CHOOSING CARE
Finding the right fit
Choosing a midwife is a personal health care decision. Consider the clinician’s credentials, services, communication style, birth setting, hospital relationships, insurance participation, and approach to shared decision-making.
Learn more from trusted sources
For additional information about midwifery education, certification, professional standards, and scope of practice, visit the American College of Nurse-Midwives and the American Midwifery Certification Board.
This page provides general educational information and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice or current licensing guidance.
Ready to explore your care options?
Learn about birth settings or search participating midwives across South Carolina.