Q. What is the highlight of your career?
A. Empowering women by helping them make informed decisions about their care for themselves and their baby. Supporting and educating them in all aspects: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Assisting mothers in having a non-medicated birth in a peaceful environment safely. I am actively involved in the Wyoming Midwifery Association and serve on the Wyoming Board of Midwifery.

Q. What are challenges you encounter in your career?
A. When things don’t go as planned and we must transfer care, I try to prepare mothers and families ahead of time, just in case. We usually discuss the ‘what if’s’ beforehand so that a transition would be easier. Family time is challenging at times as I am essentially on call all the time. There have been occasions when I’ve missed concerts, birthday parties, and holidays because babies come when they want. It’s important that your family supports you and understands that. You can be up all night and day, so self-care is a must! Know your limits!

Q. How did you get to this career?
A. With my 4th pregnancy, I found out that a friend was using a midwife and having a home birth. This intrigued me because I had quick labors, and I hated having to drive to the closest hospital (90 miles away) to have a baby. I decided to transfer care to this midwife, and we loved her right away. She was very personable, and it seemed like my care was personalized and not just a check every box for each patient. I loved that I knew that I would only have her and not someone that was on call. She listened to me and understood my frustrations with other births and how I felt like I didn’t get listened to. Sadly, I couldn’t have a home birth because my son decided to come too early (per law), and so I had him in the hospital, but the care that I got from my midwife during pregnancy and after was far superior to what I had ever received. Due to our rural location, I decided that we needed more midwives in our area and to become a midwife. I was already an EMT of 5 years by then and knew the challenges of rural living. I started my apprenticeship in January of 2014 in Montana doing a dual curriculum that would appease Montana and Wyoming requirements. A few months into my apprenticeship, I had found out that my great-grandmother was also a midwife for our Northern Cheyenne Tribe in Montana. I guess you can say it’s in my blood.

Q. What is something unique about your career most people might not know or understand about what you do?
A. Birth… yes, babies are born at home. I usually see women when they find out they are pregnant around 8-12 weeks gestation. I am able to do their labs for them, so they don’t have to go to a lab or hospital to get them done. Being a midwife is very hands-on. We listen to fetal heart tones using a handheld doppler. We are trained in Leopold’s Maneuver so we can determine the position and presentation of the baby in the uterus. Some mothers choose to have water births. We don’t “make them” birth in the bed. They can birth wherever is comfortable for them: living room, bathroom, bedroom, kitchen… we are ready for it since our equipment is all portable. We are certified in CPR and NRP (neonatal resuscitation program) and can carry state-approved medications for hemorrhaging in the mother and have vitamin K and erythromycin ointment for the baby if families choose to use. We can also do the state-required metabolic screening. We submit birth certificates and information to obtain a social security card as well. Mothers and babies stay in our care until 6 weeks after the baby is born, and then families can choose if they want to start care with a pediatrician or not.

Q. Are there scholarship or internship opportunities available with your career? If so, where can more information about those be found?
A. There are two different kinds of midwives: nurse midwives and Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs), which is what I am. To become a nurse midwife, you would need to go to nursing school first, and once you complete that, you would enroll in a master’s degree program specific to midwifery. Usually, to fully complete and become a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), it takes around 6-8 years on average.

Becoming a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) is a shorter process, typically taking 3-7 years. It’s much like a trade school, focusing primarily on midwifery. Wyoming requires that the school is accredited by the Midwifery Education and Accreditation Council (MEAC). Currently, there are fewer than 12 schools that are MEAC accredited. Some of these schools offer financial aid, while others don’t, but there are scholarships available to apply for. Tuition costs can start from around $12,000 and go up, depending on the school and program you choose. For more information, you can visit the MEAC website at www.meacschools.org.

Since midwifery schooling is hands-on, you will need to have a preceptor to oversee your work and teach you clinical assessments. Sometimes these preceptors charge you, and some pay you—it depends on the midwife and their practice. Once schooling is finished as a CPM, you will have to take your boards exam through the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM).

To do this, you will need to:

• Graduate from a MEAC-accredited school
• Observe 10 births
• Assist with 20 births, 25 prenatal exams (including 3 initial exams), 20 newborn exams, and 10 postpartum visits
• Serve as the primary caregiver under supervision for 75 prenatal exams (including 20 initial exams), 20 newborn exams, 40 postpartum exams, a minimum of 20 primary births, pass the NARM examination, and complete an additional 5 births under supervision.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions