What you’d do
- Monitor maternal condition during labor by checking vital signs, monitoring uterine contractions, or performing physical examinations.
- Identify tubal and ectopic pregnancies and refer patients for treatments.
- Provide necessary medical care for infants at birth, including emergency care such as resuscitation.
- Conduct ongoing prenatal health assessments, tracking changes in physical and emotional health.
- Monitor fetal growth and well-being through heartbeat detection, body measurement, and palpation.
- Establish and follow emergency or contingency plans for mothers and newborns.
- Identify, monitor, or treat pregnancy-related problems such as hypertension, gestational diabetes, pre-term labor, or retarded fetal growth.
- Obtain complete health and medical histories from patients including medical, surgical, reproductive, or mental health histories.
Skills that matter
- Social Perceptiveness
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Service Orientation
How to get there
Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher
Also called
- Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)
- Homebirth Midwife
- Licensed Certified Professional Midwife
- Licensed Midwife (LM)
- Birth Center Midwife
- Certified Direct-Entry Midwife
Related careers
See all careersNurse Midwives
- Bright Outlook
- Rapid Growth
Diagnose and coordinate all aspects of the birthing process, either independently or as part of a healthcare team.
Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher
Nurse Practitioners
- Bright Outlook
- Rapid Growth
Diagnose and treat acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team.
Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher
Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Provide medical care related to pregnancy or childbirth. Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases of women, particularly those affecting…
Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher
Registered Nurses
- Bright Outlook
- Rapid Growth
- Numerous Job Openings
Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records.
Considerable preparation: most need a four-year bachelor's degree
Pediatricians, General
Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries in children. May refer patients to specialists for further diagnosis or treatment…
Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher
Family Medicine Physicians
Diagnose, treat, and provide preventive care to individuals and families across the lifespan.
Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher