Spectrum Health is celebrating National Midwifery Week. Certified Nurse Midwife, Carey Groendal, CNM, joined us on the show to tell us more about what midwives do.
Midwives approach patient care a littler differently and serve women of all ages. Spectrum Health has an entire team of midwives who delivered over 1,000 babies last year, focusing on maternity care as well as a full range of health needs throughout life.
Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are independent health care providers. CNMs are highly-qualified providers with graduate degrees in advanced practice nursing, licensed with the State of Michigan and certified through the American Midwifery Certification Board.
CNMs work with other members of the health care team, such as physicians and nurses, to provide the highest quality care. They work in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, medical offices, clinics, birth centers, and homes.
They provide general health care services, gynecology care, and family planning, as well as maternity care (before, during, and after childbirth).
Certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) provide care from your first period until after menopause, plus all the important health events in between, such as:
- General health care services
- Annual gynecologic exams
- Family planning needs
- Treatment of sexually transmitted infections
- Care during teenage years
- Care for pregnancy, labor, and birth
- Menopause care
Choosing a midwife offers patients a chance for expert personalized care based on research and evidence. Midwifery care does not rely on providing a specific set of childbirth procedures or practices for all women. Instead, midwives tailor care to meet the wants and needs of each woman and her baby.
Midwives maintain the best conditions possible for a safe and healthy outcome for all involved.
For more information, visit spectrumhealth.org.
