Looking for a Midwife in Oklahoma?
Choosing a Midwife for your birth is no small task! Here’s a quick rundown of Midwifery care in Oklahoma.
Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
Training: Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, then Master’s degree (Nurse Practitioner) in Nurse Midwifery.
Scope: Full range care for girls/women, Pediatric care for babies up to 28 days. Has prescriptive authority, may practice independently. Certified by AMCB
Practice Location: Office, home, birth center, and hospitals.
Certified Midwife (CM)
Training: Bachelor’s degree, then Master’s degree in Midwifery
Scope: Full range care for women, no prescriptive authority in Oklahoma, practices independently. Certified by AMCB
Practice location: Office, home, birth center
Training: Program of study directly into Midwifery with hands-on and academic training for low risk birth. Does not require RN credential or prior degree. Certified by NARM.
Scope: Low risk pregnancy/birth, some GYN. No prescriptive authority in Oklahoma. Practices independently
Practice Location: Office, home, birth center
Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)
Training: In Oklahoma, the term “Unlicensed Midwife” means Not licensed by the state. It does not mean that the Midwife has no training. There are various paths that lead to a Midwife in Oklahoma advertising as “unlicensed”- it’s important to ask!
Scope: low risk pregnancy and birth, No prescriptive authority or standing orders for medications in OK.
Practice Location: Office, home birth
Unlicensed Midwife
Choosing a Midwife
Training: Consider the values that are important to you. Is it important that your Midwife has had Medical/Hospital training? Would you rather your Midwife not have been influenced by formal systems and hospital procedures?
Scope: Would you like your provider to provide care outside of pregnancy/birth? Would you like your provider to manage prescriptions etc?
Location: Where would you like to welcome your baby? Home, Birth Center, Hospital?
Questions to Ask
What are your beliefs about birth?
Wat is your traihning/experience?
What is your experience with birth Emergencies?
What is your plan for transfer in case of Emergency?
Who will be at my birth?
What safety measures are in place for my birth?
What things do you consider “high risk?'“
About Me: I am a Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Midwife with over 15 years of hospital experience and 5 years of Birth Center experience. In my career I have served Moms & Babies as an OR tech, L&D, Postpartum, and Nursery (well and sick baby) nurse, IBCLC, Birth Center Staff Midwife, and Clinical Director of an AABC accredited birth center. At Selah, we are in the beginning stages of AABC accreditation, which is the Gold Standard for Birth Center safety and excellence on a national level. Having AABC accreditation not only shows that we have rigorous standards to the Moms and Babies we serve, but helps to facilitate good teamwork and communication with local hospitals, physicians, and EMS. This is also the credential that will allow our facility to be in network with commercial and government insurance.
Our Vision: To create a personal, safe, and unique experience for every woman who chooses to trust us in caring for her growing family. We understand that as more families experience the competence and the intimate nature of Midwifery led care, the demand for Midwives across all aspects of health care will increase and basic healthcare will come back into the hands of Midwives. At Selah, we plan to build that change from the ground up and continue to expand services to meet the changing needs of Oklahoma families