Overview
Midwives offer care throughout the pregnancy cycle, as well as routine gynecologic care for women of all ages. Today's midwives are university-educated professionals providing care for women within the context of modern health care systems.
All Cleveland Clinic midwives are registered nurses (RN) who have continued their education in graduate programs with a focus on women's health and midwifery. All midwives must successfully complete their graduate programs, and must pass a national certification exam to use the title "CNM" (certified nurse midwife). In Ohio, the Board of Nursing re-examines the nurse's qualifications before issuing a license to practice within the state.
A Team Approach
Our midwives at Cleveland Clinic will provide you with personalized care throughout your pregnancy, labor and delivery. Midwives work together with Cleveland Clinic board-certified obstetricians. This teamwork assures you the best care possible. If a complication develops and the services of an obstetrician becomes necessary, you do not lose the support of your midwife. The midwife and obstetrician work together to provide you with “the best of both worlds.”
Interested in having your baby at Cleveland Clinic?
Cleveland Clinic is recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care.
Benefits of Using a Midwife
Today, midwives are educated, licensed professionals who provide quality, “client centered” health care within a mainstream health care delivery system. Midwives provide comprehensive maternity care from the first visit through labor and delivery and after birth. They lend a sense of compassion, mutual respect and companionship to the birthing experience. They encourage parents to participate actively in all aspects of their care and to prepare themselves physically and emotionally for the birth of their child.
Midwives recognize that birth is a natural process, not a disease. They strive to facilitate labors so that few, if any, interventions will be necessary. Midwives respect the decisions made by each family about the birth experience and make every attempt to abide by those decisions, as long as the safety of the mother and child are preserved.
Throughout the pregnancy, midwives and expectant mothers have the privilege of getting to know each other on a personal level. Midwives are always available to listen to the many concerns of an expectant family, and respond to those concerns. They encourage the involvement of the expectant father or other support person in all aspects of prenatal care, delivery and support after birth.
Midwives provide instructions on many aspects of childbearing, including:
- Mother and infant care
- Nutrition
- Exercise
- Breast-feeding
They also offer advice on family-related issues, such as birth control methods, introducing siblings to a new baby and what to expect during the first few weeks at home with a newborn.
Want to learn more about what Midwives do?
When you think of nurse midwives, do you think of babies delivered at home? If so, you’ve got lots of company! Learn the reality behind this myth and others in an infographic created with input from nurse midwife Sue Hudson, CNM, as well as listen to our Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials podcast with Jessica Costa, CNM walking you through what is a midwife and why you might want to see one.
- Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials Infographic: What Do Midwives Do? (Hint: It’s a Lot More Than You Might Think!)
- Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials Podcast: What is a Midwife and Why Might a Woman Want to See One?
Services
Cleveland Clinic midwives offer:
- Well-woman care through the reproductive years and beyond
- 24-hour availability for all patients and their families
- Involvement of the patient in health-care decisions so patients can make choices best suited to their needs
- Labor support and management, including support of the woman and her family through the labor process. Special attention is paid not only to the physical status of the woman and her baby, but also the emotional status of the expectant family.
- Availability of full range of pain relief options, including natural childbirth, water therapy, analgesics, or epidural, according to the patient's preference.
- Monitoring of the labor process and status of mother and baby. If complications arise, the midwife has immediate access to the obstetrician on call. The midwife may consult with the physician, or refer the patient to physician care if deemed necessary by the team.
- Post-delivery care and attention to physical and emotional needs of the new mother as well as the adjustment of the whole family
- Our Family Birth Place at Fairview Hospital includes six newly-renovated suites for labor, birth and post-partum care, as well as three additional post-partum rooms
Appointments & Locations
Appointments
To make an appointment with one of our midwives, please call 216.444.6601.
If you would make an appointment with a midwife at Akron General, please call 330.344.8565.
Locations
Midwifery services are available at the following locations:
