For low-risk pregnancies, research shows planned home birth with a qualified midwife is a safe option. A large 2014 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that planned home births with midwives had comparable outcomes to hospital births for low-risk women, with fewer interventions.

Midwife Support

Find a Midwife Near You

Q: What's the difference between a doula and a midwife?

A midwife is a medical professional who provides clinical care during pregnancy, labor, and birth — including monitoring vitals, performing exams, and delivering babies. A doula is a non-medical support person who provides emotional, physical, and informational support but does not perform clinical tasks. You can have both: many families hire a midwife for clinical care and a doula for continuous support.

Q: Does insurance cover midwife care?

Most insurance plans cover CNM care in hospitals and birth centers. Home birth coverage varies — some Medicaid programs and private insurers are expanding coverage, but CPM and out-of-hospital midwifery may not be covered in all states. Check with your specific plan.

Q: How do I find a midwife near me?

Start by checking if your state licenses midwives, then search the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) for a CPM, the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) for a CNM, or your state's midwifery regulatory board. You can also ask your OB-GYN, local birth center, or search our city birth support pages.

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.

Plan Your Birth Home Birth Guide →

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.

Florida

Jacksonville, FL

Midwifes

Samantha Crickmore — LM (Licensed Midwife)

Modern Midwives Team — CPM, LM

View full listing →

Leesburg, FL

Midwife

Rebecca Luckey — LM, CPM

View full listing →

Palm Springs, FL

Midwifes

Fadwah Halaby — APRN, CNM

Dana Jacobs — CNM, MSN

Elizabeth Charron — LM, CPM

View full listing →

Tampa, FL

Midwifes

Charlie Rae Young — LM, CPM, CLC

Johanna Lancaster — CNM

View full listing →

MO

Kansas City, MO

Midwifes

Midwifes

Barefoot Midwifery — Cori Lively, LM, CPM

Serenity Midwifery, PLLC — Licensed Midwife

Wise Womb Midwifery — Midwife

View full listing →

Corpus Christi, TX

Midwifes

Melinda Pond (New Beginnings Birth Services) — LM, CPM

Kris Devens (Corpus Christi Birth Center) — LM, CPM, CLC

View full listing →

Sunflower Babies Midwifery — CPM, LM

View full listing →

Norfolk, VA

Midwifes

Sunflower Babies Midwifery — CPM

Seven Cities Midwifery Care, LLC — CPM

We're building midwife directories for these cities. Each city page already has doula listings, hospital policies, Medicaid info, and birth planning tools. Read our home birth midwife guide while we add more midwife listings.

Abilene Acworth Agoura Hills Alameda Albany Albuquerque Alexandria Alhambra Allen Park Allen Alvin Amarillo American Canyon Anaheim Anchorage Anna Apple Valley Arlington Heights Arlington Arvada Atlanta Augusta Aurora Aurora Austin Bakersfield Baltimore Bellevue Boise Boston Bozeman Buffalo Burlingame Cary Cedar Park Celina Chandler Charleston Charlotte Chicago Chula Vista Cincinnati Cleveland Colorado Springs Columbia Columbus Concord Conroe Corona Costa Mesa Cumming Denver Detroit El Paso Elk Grove Escondido Eugene Fontana Fort Collins Fremont Fresno Frisco Fullerton Fulshear Gainesville Gaithersburg Garden Grove Gilbert Glendale Grand Rapids Greenbelt Greenville Hartford Hayward Henderson Hendersonville Huntington Beach Huntsville Indianapolis Irvine La Habra Lakewood Laredo Las Vegas Laurel Lehi Lexington Long Beach Los Angeles Louisville Lubbock McKinney Melissa Memphis Meridian Mesa Milwaukee Minneapolis Moreno Valley Naperville Nashville New Braunfels New Haven New York Newark Newport Beach Newport News Norwalk Oakland Oceanside Oklahoma City Omaha Ontario Orlando Palmdale Palo Alto Pasadena Pearland Phoenix Pittsburgh Pomona Port St. Lucie Portland Princeton Providence Raleigh Rancho Cucamonga Redwood City Reno Richmond Rochester Rockville Rosemount Sacramento San Antonio San Bernardino San Diego San Francisco San Jose San Marcos San Mateo Spokane Springfield St. Augustine St. Paul Stamford Staten Island Stockton Sunnyvale Tacoma Tempe Temple Torrance Tucson Tulsa Tuscaloosa Victoria Virginia Beach Waco Washington Worcester Yonkers

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.

Try the birth plan app Download Free PDF

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

Related Resources

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.

Try the birth plan app Download Free PDF