Midwife means “with woman”. From the very beginning, women have helped one another give birth. Midwives are referred to in the book of Genesis; the first midwives found in literature. Since then, midwifery has continued through the centuries and today is an internationally recognized profession with practitioners throughout the world. This rich history includes the development of Nurse-Midwifery in the United States in the 1930’s.

A Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) is a primary care provider who is educated to provide normal gynecological, maternity and newborn care. A CNM must be a Registered Nurse and must have completed an accredited graduate level program in midwifery. She must also pass a national certifying exam, which ensures that all CNM’s have the knowledge and skills necessary to safely practice nurse-midwifery.

CNM’s encourage women to take responsibility for their own health and to make lifestyle choices that will promote life-long good health. The CNM philosophy of care focuses on wellness and health promotion, the normality of childbirth and the importance of individualized care.

Nurse-midwives provide an atmosphere in which a woman and her family can choose the kind of birth experience they want. CNM’s welcome questions and take the time to listen, offering special skills and understanding of each woman’s unique needs. Women with normal pregnancies who choose midwives as their caregivers have healthy births with fewer medical interventions.

Certified Nurse-Midwives in Iowa are regulated as a category of Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners through the State Board of Nursing. They can prescribe drugs for their clients as needed. Most private insurance carriers, Medicare, Medicaid and managed care programs cover nurse-midwifery care. Services are also covered under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) and the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plans (FEHBP).

How We Can Help You

History and Physical Examination…
Annual physical examinations, pap smears, breast and pelvic exams, ordering mammograms, ultrasounds and laboratory studies as needed, general wellness counseling

Family Planning…
Individualized counseling on birth control options, including risks and health benefits of each; natural family planning, prescriptions for oral contraceptive pills, Depo Provera injections, contraceptive patches and rings, IUD insertions and diaphragm fittings. Age appropriate discussions of abstinence, safe sex, condom use and sexual decision making

Screening and Treatment…
Vaginal infections, urinary tract infections, sexually transmitted diseases, menstrual irregularities, pelvic pain, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), sexual dysfunction, infertility

Preconception and Maternity Care…
Individualized counseling on achieving optimal health before and during pregnancy, how to minimize risks; health care that will enable you to have a creative, fulfilling and safe birth experience

Medications…
Certified Nurse-Midwives in Iowa have independent prescriptive privileges. We commonly write prescriptions for vitamins, birth control pills, antibiotics, and other medications or health care products. We are knowledgeable about herbs, aromatherapy and other complimentary options.

Perimenopausal Consultation…
Annual examinations include a complete health history, assessment and physical examination, with additional focus and counseling on the symptoms that may develop during this transition time.

Hypnotherapy…
Hypnosis is a naturally occurring state of mind that you can use to make changes in your life, like changing habits or improving how you feel. It has proven to be useful for pregnancy issues such as excessive vomiting, excessive anxiety or fears about labor, turning breech babies, etc. We offer individual hypnotherapy sessions and HypnoBirthing classes.

Education…
Midwives give women the information and help they need to maximize their health and prevent complications. You can expect us to listen to your needs and to involve your family to the fullest extent possible. We also offer classes on alternative techniques and comfort measures for labor. However, the most important “tool” for coping with labor is the empowerment brought by the understanding that childbirth is a healthy, normal process. We love to talk about midwifery and do our part to educate the community as well!