The Top Doctors Specializing in CERTIFIED NURSE MIDWIFE (CNM) in VA

Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) are registered nurses who pursue advanced education and certification to fulfill their passion for women's gynecological health, as well as prenatal and postnatal care. Premier Health recognizes CNMs as highly trained medical professionals who provide valuable women’s health care services. A Certified Nurse Midwife is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who specializes in the care of women through all life stages – from adolescence through menopause – by providing well woman care and birth control, as well as care through pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Certified Nurse Midwives play a unique role in optimizing the childbirth experience. For most women with healthy pregnancies, childbirth is a normal, natural, physiologic process that requires little intervention. The midwifery philosophy of care includes prenatal education and counseling, which enables women to make informed choices for their best birth experience. We provide support through labor for women choosing an unmedicated birth, but are also able to offer multiple pain relief options and increased intervention as women desire or as their needs during labor change. Characteristics that make a great midwife include the ability to listen – listening to women, listening to families, listening to babies; supporting women as the primary decision makers in their care; understanding the normal labor process and recognizing the abnormal to intervene judiciously; and being an advocate for women so they feel strong and empowered to make their best informed choices. To become a CNM, one must first complete nursing school to become a registered nurse and then go on to a complete a master's degree in nursing. Midwifery programs provide classroom, as well as clinical experience in labor and delivery and women's health, which allows students to train with experienced nurse midwives.