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Supporting Women. Empowering Families. Transforming Birth and Beyond.
National Midwifery Week: October 4–10, 2026
Recognizing Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs), advanced practice registered nurses who provide comprehensive, patient-centered care throughout pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum recovery, and across the reproductive lifespan.
What Is a Certified Nurse-Midwife?
Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who complete graduate-level education in nurse-midwifery and earn national certification.
Their expertise extends well beyond childbirth. CNMs provide comprehensive, evidence-based care that may include:
- Primary and preventive care
- Preconception and prenatal care
- Labor and birth care
- Postpartum care
- Gynecologic and reproductive healthcare
- Family planning and contraception
- Menopause care
- Care of the healthy newborn
- Health education, counseling, and shared decision-making
CNMs practice in hospitals, physician and midwifery practices, clinics, birth centers, and home-birth settings, collaborating with other healthcare professionals when additional or higher-acuity care is needed.
Nurse-Midwifery by the Numbers
- 14,461
Active Certified Nurse-Midwives were nationally certified as of February 2025.*
- 12%
Of all U.S. births in 2024 were attended by a CNM.
- 3.63 Million
Babies were born in the United States in 2024, illustrating the scale of maternity care in which CNMs play an important role.
- 11% Growth
Employment of nurse midwives is projected to grow from 8,600 positions in 2024 to 9,500 by 2034, faster than the 3% average projected across all occupations.
(*Calculated from AMCB February 2025 data: 14,600 active CNMs and CMs, of whom 139 were CMs; therefore, 14,461 were CNMs)
The Impact of CNMs
Certified Nurse-Midwives:
- Promote healthy pregnancies and positive birth experiences
- Monitor maternal and fetal health throughout pregnancy and labor
- Support physiologic labor and birth when appropriate
- Identify complications and coordinate higher levels of care when needed
- Provide postpartum and newborn care
- Support breastfeeding and early parent-infant bonding
- Provide reproductive, gynecologic, and preventive healthcare
- Educate and empower patients through shared decision-making
More Than Birth Care
While CNMs are widely recognized for maternity care, their role extends across the reproductive lifespan. CNMs may provide:
- Annual wellness and gynecologic care
- Contraception and family planning
- Preconception counseling
- Sexual and reproductive healthcare
- Screening and preventive services
- Menopause care
- Health education and counseling
Midwifery is not only about birth; it is a model of comprehensive, relationship-centered healthcare.
Where CNMs Practice
CNMs provide care across a variety of healthcare settings, including:
- Hospitals and health systems
- Obstetric and gynecologic practices
- Midwifery practices
- Community and outpatient clinics
- Birth centers
- Home-birth practices
Advancing Health Through Nurse-Midwifery
CNMs strengthen healthcare by:
- Expanding access to maternity and reproductive healthcare
- Promoting evidence-based, individualized, patient-centered care
- Supporting informed choice and shared decision-making
- Providing continuity throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care
- Collaborating with interdisciplinary teams when higher-acuity care is needed
- Supporting health and wellness throughout the reproductive lifespan
Recognition & Awareness
National Midwifery Week: October 4–10, 2026
National Midwifery Week recognizes the contributions of midwives and raises awareness of the important role midwifery plays in maternal, reproductive, and newborn healthcare.
More Than Birth. Care Across the Lifespan.
CNMs combine advanced nursing expertise with evidence-based, relationship-centered care to support women, newborns, and families through pregnancy, birth, postpartum care, and beyond.
