Hint: they’re changing the delivery of healthcare

An expecting mother’s birth team typically consists of her family, doctors, and nurses—and now women giving birth at Soin Medical Center can include a midwife.

But what exactly is a midwife?

A Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) is a licensed registered nurse (RN) with a specialized graduate degree in nurse-midwifery from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME).

Midwives care for women across their lifespans, from puberty through post-menopause, and provide services ranging from well-woman gynecologic care to prenatal, labor and delivery, and post-delivery care.

“Midwives affirm the strength of women and recognize the importance of women’s health in the well-being of families and communities,” says Kristie Blake, certified nurse-midwife at Soin Medical Center. “We appreciate women as individuals and partner with them to customize their care.”

Regarding maternity care, midwives champion natural birth experiences and are also equipped to provide pharmacologic pain management. “Pregnancy, giving birth, and becoming a mother are some of the biggest events a woman will ever experience,” says Darla Baker, certified nurse-midwife at Soin Medical Center. “Our role is to support women in their journey and embrace the beauty of it—to acknowledge that it is much more than a medical procedure.”

Kettering Health believes in caring for mind, body, and spirit, which is why adding nurse-midwives to our care team just made sense.