Midwifery Today Community

Hello All!  I'm a senior in high school and have been to figure out what profession to pursue...midwifery has always interested me, especially since I've become a proponent for homebirth.  In any case, I'm looking for advice about how to go about becoming a midwife.  If you are a midwife, how did you become one?  What do you think is the best path?  I would like to get a bachelor's degree first; do you have suggestions on a major for that?  Human Development?  Nursing?  Both? 

Any advice/comments are appreciated!  Thanks in advance!

 It depends on what kind of Midwife you want to be in some cases. You might check your state laws as far as what types of Midwives are recognized in your state. Here they recognize Certified Nurse Midwives only and that's what I'm planning on becoming. I'm a nursing student now who will get my RN and then work for at least a year in L&D befor applying to Frontier for my CNM.

As you can imagine, these exact questions come up quite often on here.  One thing you can do is check back in our previous and archived posts and see what answers women have received over the years.

Another excellent thing to do is to click on the main site button above and check out Midwifery Today's website.  Click on books and you will find a gem called Paths to Becoming a Midwife.  This would be a great resource for you.  (Makes a great holiday or birthday gift!  Put it on your list!!)  Sign up for our free e-newsletter and ask for a subscription to the journal, Midwifery Today.

Check out your local midwifery groups.  If you don't know where to turn, find out who the local independent childbirth educators are in your area and start making calls and befriending those women. They will most likely know the skinny on what's what in the area.  Befriend doulas, too, as they will also have a finger on the pulse of your birthing community.