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Midwifery Education

Looking for a college degree
you can attain at home?
Read about Regent's College

Part I

You have thought to yourself, "I think I might want to become a midwife" or you would not be reading this page. Throughout the years I have received many phone calls from women who also had that thought and who were looking for direction. Some of these women asked to be my apprentice.

I am here to tell you that the road to becoming a a direct-entry midwife contains many sharp turns, pesky roadblocks, deep potholes, and frustrating dead-ends. As in any profession, there is no easy way to become a midwife. To succeed, you must invest years of your time- just as you would for other professions. You must be willing and able to serve an long apprenticeship with a practicing, experienced midwife. You must prepare yourself to read many textbooks and hundreds of other midwifery related books and articles. In addition, you must learn about the legalities of the profession and be ready to become politically involved because midwifery is not yet accepted as completely legal in many states.

Here are some questions you need to ask yourself before you commit yourself to a career in midwifery:

If you have children, who is going to watch them when you are called out at 3:00 AM for a birth? What if your child is sick and you are called to a birth? What do you do then? Are you willing to miss your children's birthdays, special events and even Christmas day with them?

Does your spouse completely understand that you will be away from home, sometimes for 24 hours or more when you are called to a birth? Is your spouse aware that scheduling a vacation with the family involves much more foresight and planning?

Do you realize that midwifery can be very fatiguing? Sometimes you will be called upon to go little or no sleep for 24 hours or more. And when you finally do get home, are you ready to meet your normal obligations?

Do you have the money to invest in a car which must be reserved for your use, for the equipment needed to perform your professional duties, and for daycare, if needed? Your monthly phone bill will increase dramatically.

Do you have a place in your home where you can meet with your clients? You need to see your clients regularly. Will your family cooperate with you when your "office" is open?

Do you understand that your initial education and apprenticeship is just the beginning?  You will need to spend much time and effort keeping abreast of new developments and attend conferences and meetings with other midwives.

Are you familiar with the basics of business practices? Do you understand the implications of being in your own business? Examples: how will you attract clients to your service? Should you advertise? How do you pay taxes on your income?


Hi!  I am so glad to have found your website and grateful for the assistance you offer to those of us who are trying to figure out the best way to become well-educated, qualified midwives, so first of all, "Thanks!"

My name is Bethanie Burkholder and I want to get midwifery training, preferably a bachelor's degree with a midwifery speciality Currently I am a Licensed Practical Nurse and working in a hospital's Med/Surg. unit.  Any advice you could give me about what training route to
pursue I would deeply appreciate.
Sincerely,
Bethanie Burkholder

Bethanie,
There are a number of options for you.  "Best" is slippery term.   There are midwives with PhD's I wouldn't trust at a rat's birth and ones with no "credentials", no degrees, that are "best" at what they do.

If you mean, you want a degree and a credential, then go the CNM route and work in a hospital.  You';ll need to first get a nursing degree and then whatever they want you to have (year of experience in L&D, etc) to apply for the midwifery training. If your own experience is in the home setting, however, the CNM route may not be "best" as it is difficult to get good training through most programs that only use institutions for clinicals.  University based midwifery education (CNM-approved) also do not teach you anything about running a business.  But if your plans are to be an employee--that's the way to go.  If the hosptial is your choice of work place--contact the American College of Nurse Midwives.

All ACNM programs will shortly require completion of at least a master's level of work.   (although no proof exists that this makes for better midwives, better outcomes, etc. -- they've got a hang-up about it, though) On the other hand, if you want a degree, because you want a degree, and
you plan to be self-employed and work out-of-hospital, contact the North American Registry of MIdwives for info on their approved schools. You can still get a degree, but the midwifery will not necessarily be tied to it.  Their certification leads to the credential Certified Professional Midwife.  The training is much more friendly to women who
have families and apprenticeship is accepted, as well as schools. The clinical requirements are stricter than the ACNM's.

NARM:   cpminfo@aol.com
         888-84-BIRTH

Back to the degree.  If you just want a degree, check out Regents College in New York.  I just graduated with a degree in Nursing.  They are very accepting of old grades from years ago and permit/require you to take tests to pass certain subjects.   The nursing program is a challenge mechanism -- no courses are offered by the college.  I highly
recommend it to anyone who just wants a legitimate degree.  
There is the National College of Midwifery in Taos, NM which offers midwifery degrees.   You would need a preceptor for that one.  Florida state has three schools that require local attendance and grant associate degrees after completion of the 3 year programs in midwifery. 
So far as I am aware, that's it for now for direct-entry programs with state licensed degree programs.

I hope this helps.  Good luck on your path.
Yvonne Lapp Cryns


Frequently Asked Questions (I am presently building this list--please email me with your questions)

Do I need a four-year college degree to be a midwife?

What is NARM?

What's the difference between a nurse-midwife and a direct-entry midwife?

What is a "Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)"

Do I need to be an apprentice first before I become a midwife?

Do all experienced midwives take on apprentices?

What if there are no midwives prcacticing near where I live?

What is MANA?

How long do I need to be an apprentice?

Is midwifery "legal" in my state?

So, are you still with me? If so, Midwifery Schools and Programs lists most, if not all, of the current programs in the U.S. This list is compiled from a newsletter issued by the Oregon School of Midwifery. I am putting together a more detailed description of each school. My recommendation is that you first read about midwifery on the Interent and in books/articles that you can obtain through your library; second, become an apprentice before you invest in  midwifery courses. This will help you ascertain if you are fit for the profession before you undergo large expenses.

Part II

Information about earning your college degree at home.

Yes it is possible to earn a college degree from home! I am nearing the end of my trail (search) to get a REAL degree. I expect to have a diploma from Indiana University within the next 6 months and, know what? I've never seen the campus! And, let me tell you, I'm going to have one big celebration when that happens.

Here is a brief history of my adventures in academia. Just out of high school I spent a year at Northern Illinois University which I had to pay for out of my own funds as my parents were not inclined to spend money for a girl's education!  Well, I've forgiven them and now my mother has a different attitude, I believe, with her grandchildren.

I went to work at Encyclopedia Britannica and took courses at a nearby junior college and also at Loyola University in Chicago.  About a year later I was married and my husband and I packed up our very small Pontiac with whatever would fit and headed west with no particular destination in mind. We wound up in Albuquerque, N.M. where I enrolled in the University of New Mexico full-time taking a variety of courses including the sciences because I thought then that I might want to be an biomedical engineer. After two years we decided to return to Chicago to be closer to our relatives.

Upon returning to Chicago I enrolled at two local junior colleges before I entered  the Illinois Institute of Technology to continue my pursuit of an engineering degree; I took 8 hours there. Within a year our first child, Nathaniel, was born. We also bought our first house Chicago's far west side (paid $18,000 for a 3 bedroom brick bungalow with a full, finished basement in 1975!). That pretty much ended my "formal" education what with 6 babies following Nathaniel and two more houses on the horizon.

Seventeen years later I decided that my interrupted quest for a "real" degree would begin again. By then I had accumulated nearly 200 hours of college credits, but I did not have a parchment in hand because I did not take enough hours at any one school.(This is an issue I'd like to take up with some academic people sometime) I simply wanted a degree, and I was determined to get one.

Coincidentally, one of my clients who homeschooled her children gave me a magazine where I saw a story about a family who had also homeschooled and their children had obtained degrees from major colleges "at-a-distance." This was a new term and concept for me so I researched this eagerly. What I found introduced me to the world of colleges without walls.

There are a number of very legitimate schools that offer distance education and the list gets longer every year. I am going to get my BGS degree from Indiana University. They offer correspondence courses. You only need to go somewhere approved to take your tests.  I could have spared myself years of depression (when tied down at home raising 7 kids) had I known what I know now. To understand this fully you will have to familiarize yourself with two key words: CLEP and DANTES.An explanation of these are shown below.  And using Peterson's Guide to colleges that offer distance education is important because you must decide where to start educating yourself.

An Important Ingredient

Regents College in New York state offers fully accredited degrees in many subject areas. This college is definitely for independent learners. The college employs a unique approach to obtaining your degree. They do not offer any courses directly from the college. So, you must take your courses elsewhere, "challenge" courses, or "test-out" of courses by taking TESTS administered through Regents College. They accept CLEP,   DANTES and other tests.

I strongly recommend you at least take a look into Regents College. This might be the perfect road for you, depending on your experience.

Now, read the important information below. I will add more information as I have time, but if you have a particular question don't hesitate to EMAIL me.

College Credit By Examination

Earning college credits through by-pass examinations is an excellent method of advancing an individual’s college plan.   It speeds progress towards your degree completion and costs you less to do so.   The number of credits you can earn per exam does vary.   There are four major types of examinations available without charge to active duty and reserve component military personnel.   They are CLEP General Examinations, CLEP Subject Examinations, DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs), and ACT Proficiency Examinations (ACT/PEP).

Passing an exam does not guarantee credit--it must be accepted by a college.    Most colleges accept one or more of these exams.   In order to receive credit for taking the exams, three conditions must be met:

  1. Scores must be submitted to a college which accepts the exams.
  2. Scores must meet the minimum standards established by the college.
  3. Subject matter of the exams taken must be applicable to a degree program offered by the college.

You are advised to discuss your college/testing plans with your Base Education Guidance Counselor before testing, and to coordinate your testing plans with your academic advisor from the school where you are pursuing your degree.   Counseling is available through your Base Education Center to help you determine your plans of action.

Information regarding exams and study guides are available at the Base Education Center.   Additionally, study materials are available at the Base Library, the Base Exchange and most book stores.

CLEP and DANTES exams are available to active duty military dependents and DOD civilians on a self-pay basis.   Exams are available to others on a self-pay basis through local college testing centers.

CLEP and DANTES exams are offered free of charge to all active duty and reserve military, but official transcripts require a handling fee.

 

Would you be interested in obtaining your bachelor's degree with a concentration in midwifery? We are actively developing some new ideas and concepts about this.  If interested please EMAIL me and I will put you on a list of those who want further information.

Chart of the Legal Status of midwives by State
Legislative Packet from MANA
Schools for the study of Nurse-Midwife

The Midwife's Apprentice

The following story is a rendering of a parody
originally told by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War.

The old community midwife was exhausted. She had attended many births in a few, short days. She was in need of a respite, but she still had one woman due--the butcher's wife. Due, yes, but not due for another ten days. The midwife decided she would have her apprentice check on her and then decide if she could take the afternoon off. So she called her apprentice in, and had her go over to the butcher's wife and check her. The apprentice returned and reported that she had checked the woman and had found she was not effaced, not dilating and not contracting. All was calm. The midwife was free to go for the afternoon.

So with the report the midwife began to plan her afternoon off. she packed her basket with dandelion wine, the choicest cheeses, fruit and fresh baked bread. with basket in hand, she set off for the outer edege of town to the forest for her well-deserved serenity. On the way out of town she came upon Mrs. McFadden and her mule, Ole Bess. Mrs. McFadden asked, "What, you're going out of town? Isn't that butcher's wife about to break fourth with child?" "oh no," replied the midwife, "I had my apprentice check her this morning--all is well; she will be fine for the afternoon. "Still", Mrs. McFadden replied, "if you ask me, she is about to break forth with child." "oh, nonsense," the midwife said. "All is well." With a flounce of her skirt, the midwife was on her way.

Well, you know what happened while the midwife was basking in an open glade of the forest--the woman went into precipitous labor. The midwife learned about this as she returned to town later that same evening. She raced over to the butcher's house and found the child delivered and well; the woman had been left to her husband. It was all over.

The next morning the midwife called her apprentice in and promptly dismissed her. She then called in Mrs. McFadden and tried to give her the position of being her apprentice. Mrs. McFadden replied, "Oh no. I couldn't take that job." "Well you knew the butcher's wife was about to break forth with child yesterday," the midwife said. "That wasn't because of myself," Mrs. McFadden replied. "It was Ole Bess, my donkey. Whenever she comes upon a woman about to give birth, she gets real ornery, and her ears begin to point all cockeyed."

Well right then and there the old midwife made the mistake. She gave the apprenticeship job to the ass, and ever since then every ass out there has wanted to be made an apprentice to the midwife so the woman will not be left to the butcher.

by K. Gennell White

reprinted with permission from The Birthkit,
Autumn 1998

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