Midwife Support
Find a Midwife Near You
A midwife is a trained medical professional who provides clinical care throughout pregnancy, labor, and birth — whether you're planning a hospital delivery, a birth center birth, or a home birth. Here's how to understand your options and find the right midwife for you.
Credentials & Scope
Three Types of Midwives You'll Encounter
Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)
- Credential: RN + graduate degree in midwifery; certified by AMCB
- Settings: Hospitals, birth centers, and home births
- Scope: Full well-woman care, prescriptions, lab orders, and birth attendance. Can practice independently in most states.
- Insurance: Widely covered by private insurance and Medicaid
Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)
- Credential: Trained in out-of-hospital birth; certified by NARM
- Settings: Home births and freestanding birth centers
- Scope: Prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care for normal pregnancies. Does not hold a nursing license and cannot prescribe medications.
- Insurance: Coverage varies by state — expanding but not universal
Registered Midwife (RM)
- Credential: State-licensed midwife in specific states (e.g., Colorado, New Mexico); not a national certification
- Settings: Home births and birth centers (state-dependent)
- Scope: Similar to CPM — prenatal through postpartum care for low-risk pregnancies. Requirements vary by state.
- Insurance: Limited — check your specific state and plan
Which type of midwife you can see depends on your state's licensing laws and your planned birth setting. CNMs practice in all 50 states. CPMs are licensed in 38+ states. RMs are licensed in a handful of states, primarily in the Mountain West and Southwest.
Not sure what the difference is? A midwife is your medical provider — she can deliver your baby, write prescriptions, and monitor your health. A doula is your support person — she keeps you comfortable, informed, and emotionally held, but doesn't do medical tasks. You can have both, and many moms do. Learn more about what a doula does →
Local Midwives
Midwives by City
Find midwives who serve your area. Each city page includes midwife credentials, services offered, cost ranges, and whether they accept Medicaid — alongside doula listings, hospital info, and birth planning tools.
More Cities — Doula & Hospital Info Available
We're building midwife directories for these cities. Each city page already has doula listings, hospital policies, Medicaid info, and free birth planning tools. Read our home birth midwife guide while we add more midwife listings.
Your Search
Finding a Midwife Near You
Start your search based on the type of midwife and birth setting you want:
- For a CNM in a hospital or birth center — Search the American College of Nurse-Midwives directory or ask your OB-GYN for a referral.
- For a CPM for home birth — Search the NARM state-specific directory or your state midwifery organization.
- For a local midwife — Browse our city directories above for midwife listings with credentials, services, and cost info. See all cities →
Regardless of where you live, a birth plan helps you communicate your preferences clearly — whether your birth team includes a midwife, an OB, or both.
Home Birth Guide
Planning a Home Birth?
Our complete home birth midwife guide covers safety data, what midwives bring to a home birth, costs, insurance coverage, how to prepare, and when hospital transfer is needed. It's the resource we wish every expectant family had before making this decision.
Read the Home Birth Guide →Is home birth safe?
Safety data, transfer protocols, and what to expect
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a doula and a midwife?
A midwife is a medical professional who provides clinical care — prenatal exams, monitoring during labor, catching the baby, and postpartum checkups. A doula is a non-medical support person who provides emotional, physical, and informational support during labor and delivery. You can have both: many families hire a midwife for clinical care and a doula for continuous support. Learn more about what a doula does →
Can I have a midwife at a hospital?
Yes. Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) practice in hospitals and birth centers across the United States. They have prescriptive authority in most states and can admit patients, order labs, and manage uncomplicated births alongside OB backup. In fact, the majority of CNM-attended births happen in hospitals. If you want midwifery care in a hospital setting, ask your provider if they have CNMs on staff, or search the ACNM directory.
Does insurance cover midwife care?
CNM care in hospitals and birth centers is covered by most private insurance and Medicaid. CPM and out-of-hospital midwifery coverage varies widely — some states have expanded Medicaid to cover home birth midwives, and some private insurers cover CPMs, but it's not universal. Check your specific plan and ask the midwife's office about billing. Some midwives offer payment plans or sliding-scale fees for uninsured families.
Is home birth safe?
For low-risk pregnancies, planned home birth with a qualified midwife is supported by research as a safe option. Studies show comparable outcomes to hospital birth for appropriate candidates, with significantly fewer interventions like induction, episiotomy, and cesarean section. The critical safety factors are: a trained and licensed midwife, a low-risk pregnancy, a clear transfer plan, and proximity to a hospital. Read our full home birth guide →
How do I find a midwife near me?
Start by identifying what type of midwife and birth setting you want:
- CNM (hospital/birth center): Search the ACNM directory or ask your OB-GYN for a referral
- CPM (home birth): Search NARM or your state midwifery organization
- Local directories: Browse our city listings above for midwives with verified credentials, services, and cost info
Plan your birth with confidence
Whether you're working with a midwife, an OB, or both — a birth plan helps you communicate your preferences clearly. Build yours free in the app.