Teens Graduating Early ... What will you do next?

[cookderosa]

"Because both are legal, I’m all for both CNMs and CPMs, and I think that both options are great! "

I don't want to turn this into a midwifery thread either. But just for clarity,it's not chocolate vs vanilla. They are completely different, and they are both certainly not "legal" in the same way. We were not really talking about CPMs, but since you brought it up.

CNMs are advanced nurse practitioners who are licensed to catch babies in all 50 states independantly or as part of an OB practice. They have master's degrees and after 2015 will have doctorate degrees. They receive insurance and Medicaid reimbursement, and work alongside OBs in clinics, hospitals and birth centers. They order labs, and have access to medical testing, have hospital privilege, and at any point in pregnancy can transfer her care to an OB if necessary. (including in the middle of a delivery).

CPMs are "legal" in 18 states, but are only able to receive Medicaid reimbursement in 7 states. (Texas isn't one of the magic 7 BTW) Getting physician backup is a rare, getting hospital privilege is rare, and getting insurance payment is highly unlikely. They don't have access to ultrasound machines, and can't order labs. Do you know a SINGLE non-nurse midwife who has malpractice insurance? One? If you say yes, I won't believe you. You can't catch enough cash-paying babies to afford insurance.
CPMs send women to the ER in an emergency, where she will fend for herself. Most CPMs are homebirth and birthcenter midwives flying on a hope and a prayer. CPMs are lucky to earn a living and risk unemployment everyday as the AMA and other lobbyists are pushing HARD to make what they do illegal.

Understand I'm not debating a woman's ability to choose where she gives birth. I'm not looking at this as a consumer- I'm looking at it as a practitioner.

As a consumer- I'm 100% pro-CPM. I'm sure that sounds conflicted, but I DO believe in a woman's ability to choose where she gives birth and who her provider should be. I had 2 "illegal" midwife-attended births, so if we were talking as consumers....I'd have a different set of arguments.

Speaking to the training and education of a practitioner, I'm clarifying the difference between CNMs, CMPs, and lay midwives. You and I both know that "most" aspiring CMPs are actually lay midwives, apprentices, or doulas, or montrice, or whatever they need to be to get into the business. Since lay midwifery and CMPs have nothing to do with obtaining an academic education, certainly not CLEPping, this is really off topic lol. So- I'll step out now :p