Midwifery

PLEASE NOTE: New FMC entrance for laboring women starting Sept. 8, 2021

EvergreenHealth Midwifery Care is pleased to offer you and your family the option of a midwife delivery at the Family Maternity Center.

Our certified nurse-midwife deliveries offer high quality, low-intervention care in a safe and welcoming environment. They are backed 24/7 by obstetricians for collaboration and consultation when needed, along with access to a full range of services available through EvergreenHealth Medical Center.

Why choose a midwife birth?

Many women choose to partner with a midwife for pregnancy and birth because:

Midwives view pregnancy as a normal physiological stage; they focus on supporting what is normal and minimizing unnecessary interventions.
They help you have a healthy pregnancy and birth through education about your body and how to maximize your health during pregnancy.
Midwifery care is woman-centered; the goal is to ensure that each woman has the birth experience she desires, whatever that means to her.
Prenatal appointments with midwives tend to be longer.
Midwives tend to spend more time by your side during labor—supporting you and watching for any health concerns.
Midwives provide access to a host of pain relief options in labor, including massage, relaxation, use of a tub and epidural anesthesia if desired.
Research indicates that women who choose a nurse-midwife have lower rates of labor induction, cesarean section and perineal trauma, along with higher rates of breastfeeding.

What is a Certified Nurse-Midwife?

In the state of Washington, there are two kinds of midwives: certified nurse-midwives and licensed midwives.

The midwives of EvergreenHealth Midwifery Care are certified nurse-midwives (CNM). They have completed a university-affiliated accredited nurse-midwifery program (with a dual degree in nursing and midwifery) and passed the national certification exam.

CNMs can attend deliveries in hospitals, birth centers, and homes, but 97% of births attended by CNMs occur in a hospital setting.

CNM's can prescribe medications and order diagnostic procedures when appropriate and medically indicated.