Care Providers
Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM): a registered nurse who has completed an advanced course of study and is certified by the American College of Nurse-Midwives. A midwife is trained to care for women during pregnancy, labor and the postnatal period; conduct normal deliveries, and care for newborn babies under normal circumstances. (source)
Certified Professional Midwife (CPM): A CPM is a direct-entry practitioner who has met all the certification standards set by the North American Registry of Midwives. What distinguishes a CPM from other nationally certified midwives is that CPMs primarily attend to out-of-hospital births and are trained via a competency-based model of education. (source)
Obstetrician: a physician that specializes in caring for pregnant women through childbirth. Women with complicated or difficult pregnancies make up a majority of their work. Many obstetricians also train as gynecologists so they are able to give medical advice and treatment concerning a woman’s reproductive system. (source)
*Obstetrics is the surgical specialty dealing with the care of a woman and her offspring during pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (period shortly after birth). Midwifery is the equivalent non-surgical specialty. (source)*
Doula: one who accompanies a woman in labor, taking care of her emotional needs throughout childbirth. A doula also provides support and suggestions for partners that can enhance their experiences of birth. A doula does not deliver the baby or have a clinical role at the birth. (source)
Birthing Locations
Hospital Birth: Traditional hospital births (in which the mother-to-be moves from a labor room to a delivery room and then, after the birth, to a semi-private room) are still the most common option. In a traditional hospital birth, doctors “manage” the delivery with their patients. In many cases, women in labor are not allowed to eat or drink (possibly due to anesthesia or for other medical reasons), and they may be required to deliver in a certain position. Pain medications are available during labor and delivery; labor may be induced, if necessary; and the fetus is usually electronically monitored throughout the labor. (source)
Birth Center: a homelike setting where natural childbirth is the focus. Since epidural anesthesia is not typically offered, women are free to move around in labor, get in positions that are most comfortable to them, spend time in the jacuzzi; or otherwise deal with the labor in a proactive manner. The baby is monitored frequently in labor typically with a handheld Doppler. Comfort measures such as hydrotherapy, massage, warm and cold compresses, and visualization and relaxation techniques are often used. The woman is free to eat and drink as she chooses. (source)
Home birth: childbirth that occurs outside a hospital or birthing center setting, usually in the home of the mother. Home births are usually attended by a midwife (or other attending medical professional) but there are some occasions when this does not happen. If labor progresses rapidly the midwife may not have arrived in time to catch the baby, but would then give immediate postnatal care. In rare cases the decision may be made to give birth without any medical professional present – this is sometimes known as an “unassisted home birth”. (source)
