Midwives are primary health care providers to women throughout their lives strive to help women have a healthy pregnancy and natural birth experience.  In many areas of the world, traditional midwives, renamed "traditional birth attendants" by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other groups, are the only available providers for childbearing women. In our country, Midwives are most often autonomous practitioners who are specialists in a low-risk pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care.  Midwives are trained to handle certain situations that are considered abnormal, including breech births and posterior position, using non-invasive techniques. And although Midwives are trained to recognize and deal with deviations from the norm in a pregnancy and birth, if they identify problems that warrant medical intervention they refer women to Obstetricians or Perinatologists if a woman requires care beyond their area of expertise. In many health care models, these professions work side by side to provide care to childbearing women.  Obstetricians/Perinatologists are specialists in illness related to childbearing and in surgery. The two professions can be complementary, but can also be at odds because obstetricians are taught to "actively manage" labor, while midwives are taught not to intervene unless necessary.

A midwife is a person who, having been regularly admitted to a midwifery educational program that is duly recognized in the country in which it is located, has successfully completed the prescribed course of studies in midwifery and has acquired the requisite qualifications to be registered and/or legally licensed to practice midwifery. The educational program may be an apprenticeship, a formal university program, or a combination. The midwife is recognized as a responsible and accountable professional who works in partnership with women to give the necessary support, care and advice during pregnancy, labor and the postpartum period, to conduct births on the midwife's own responsibility and to provide care for the infant. This care includes preventive measures, the promotion of normal birth, the detection of complications in mother and child, accessing of medical or other appropriate assistance and the carrying out of emergency measures. The midwife has an important task in health counseling and education, not only for the woman, but also within the family and community. This work involves antenatal education and preparation for parenthood and may extend to women's health, sexual or reproductive health and childcare. A midwife may practice in a variety of settings including in the home, hospitals, private birthing centers and also in association with other medical practitioners.

 
There are currently approximately 7,000 members of the American College of Nurse-Midwives in the United States. Nurse-Midwifery practice is legal in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The majority of CNM-attended births occur in hospitals. In 2001, 97% of CNM-attended births occurred in hospitals, 1.8% in free-standing birth centers and 0.9% in homes. 33 states mandate private health insurance reimbursement for nurse-midwifery services and Medicaid reimbursement is mandatory in all states.  

For more information see:

• State of New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners Midwifery Regulations
• New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners First Assist Regulations
• Division of Consumer Affairs Midwifery Liaison Committee