Midwifery: A personal approach to women’s care
The Netherlands, Sweden, and New Zealand have the best birth outcome statistics in the world, and they use midwives as their main maternity care.
Certified Nurse Midwives or CNMs are registered nurses who have completed graduate-level training in midwifery. They are board certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board and licensed by the State of Montana board of nursing as independent practitioners.
CNMs practice in homes, birth centers, clinics, and hospitals but did you know the majority of CNMs attend deliveries in a hospital setting? They don’t only assist in the delivery room; they also see women from adolescence to menopause. CNMs provide a full scope practice beyond obstetric care.
The nurse midwives at Billings Clinic provide care for women across their lifespan and provide the highest quality of care for every individual, combined with evidence-based medicine. Nurse midwives also work as a team with obstetricians, gynecologists, and maternal fetal specialists to offer a full spectrum of care when needed.
The care includes:
- Comprehensive physical exams
- Care during pregnancy
- Care during birth
- Prescribing contraceptive methods
- Ordering diagnostic tests
- Providing health education
There are many benefits for choosing care with the nurse midwives at Billings Clinic. The care is individualized for each woman and family, with a focus on pregnancy and birth as a normal part of life. Midwives base their relationship with the women they see on mutual respect that values the woman’s life experiences and knowledge.
“As midwives, we develop a strong bond with our patients and take a wholistic approach to their care,” said Tiffany Stensvad, CNM, Director of Midwifery at Billings Clinic, “We are fortunate to have a caring and compassionate team of midwives who guide our patients in their reproductive health.”
Women cared for by midwives benefit from:
- A decreased need for regional anesthesia
- Fewer episiotomies
- Earlier initiation of breastfeeding
- A greater sense of control during labor and birth
The Billings Clinic Family Birth Center offers a labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum model of care, which means a family’s entire experience will take place in the same private, comfortable suite. They also offer nitrous oxide as an alternative for pain management during birth.
To learn more about Billings Clinic Midwifery services, please visit www.billingsclinic.com/midwifery or call 406-435-8973.
