Certified Nurse Midwifery

What is a Cer­ti­fied Nurse Midwife? 

A cer­ti­fied nurse mid­wife (CNM) is an advanced prac­tice nurse who spe­cial­izes in wom­en’s health. With spe­cial­ized train­ing in preg­nan­cy, birth, and gyne­co­log­i­cal care, CNMs pro­vide com­pre­hen­sive health­care to women through­out their lives. They have a nurs­ing back­ground, com­plete a mas­ter’s degree, and pass a nation­al cer­ti­fi­ca­tion exam to become midwives. 

Your mid­wife will:

• Per­form well-woman screenings.
• Offer fam­i­ly plan­ning and pre­con­cep­tion care.
• Per­form pre­na­tal exams and order nec­es­sary tests.
• Mon­i­tor your phys­i­cal and emo­tion­al well-being.
• Assist in cre­at­ing your birth plan.
• Pro­vide guid­ance on diet, exer­cise, med­ica­tions, and over­all health.
• Edu­cate and coun­sel you about preg­nan­cy, child­birth and new­born care.
• Man­age your labor and birth, while also pro­vid­ing phys­i­cal and emo­tion­al support.
• Admit and dis­charge you from the hospital.
• Deliv­er your babies.
• Make refer­rals to doc­tors when needed.

How do mid­wives work with your health care team?

Mid­wives col­lab­o­rate close­ly with oth­er mem­bers of your health­care team, includ­ing physi­cians and nurs­es. They main­tain a strong part­ner­ship with our obste­tri­cians, who pro­vide con­sul­ta­tion as need­ed. If any com­pli­ca­tions arise dur­ing your preg­nan­cy, your mid­wife may refer you to an obste­tri­cian for addi­tion­al care.

Does hav­ing a mid­wife at birth mean I can’t have pain medication?

No. Mid­wives sup­port your informed deci­sions about birth and will help you have a pos­i­tive birth expe­ri­ence that feels right for you. 

How do I sched­ule an appoint­ment with a CNM? 

To make an appoint­ment with Ash­ley Stroot, APRN, CNM, WHNP-BC, call the QMG Women’s Health Cen­ter at (217) 222‑6550, ext. 3437.