Nurse Midwives vs OBGYN: Understanding Your Pregnancy Care Options

Baptist Health-Fort Smith recently welcomed a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) to its medical staff. Certified nurse midwives have advanced training in obstetrics and gynecology and pass a national certification exam from the American College of Nurse Midwives. The discussion about midwives vs OBGYN is important for patients to understand the different care options available.

Nurse Midwives vs OBGYN: What’s the Difference

Nurse midwives care for women during childbirth. They monitor both mother and baby during labor, help manage pain and deliver the baby. While some people think “midwife” means home births only, SaraBeth Askins, CNM, provides a wide range of hospital-based care. She offers obstetrical and gynecological services for women at any stage of life at Baptist Health Women’s Clinic-Fort Smith. 

OB/GYNs (obstetrician gynecologists) are medical doctors specializing in obstetrics and gynecology who can perform surgeries, such as C-sections and manage high-risk pregnancies. In many cases, midwives and OB/GYNs can work together to provide the safest and most supportive experience for a patient.

Services Provided by Certified Nurse Midwives

• Wellness visits and Pap smears
• Gynecology
• Breast exams
• Family planning and birth control
• Pre-pregnancy counseling
• Pregnancy care from prenatal to postpartum
• Lactation support
• Perimenopausal and menopausal management

Askins earned a Master of Science in Nursing from Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies in Washington, D.C. and has worked with mothers and babies since 2014. She believes in personalizing care for each patient, which is a core value in the midwives vs OBGYN conversation.

What is a Certified Nurse Midwife?

A CNM is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) trained as both a nurse and a midwife. Nurse midwives provide many healthcare services on their own or alongside physicians. These include obstetrical care, gynecological care and primary care. They can prescribe medicine, diagnose conditions and perform procedures such as IUD insertions or endometrial biopsies. They work in clinics, hospitals, birth centers and through telehealth.
Midwives focus on pregnancy, birth and postpartum care in a holistic way, aiming to reduce unnecessary interventions but still be able to act if problems arise. This approach is one of the key differences discussed when comparing midwives vs OBGYN.

Education and Training

A nurse midwife holds either a Master or Doctorate in Nursing (MSN or DNP) with a focus in Nurse-Midwifery. They are licensed APRNs and can practice in all 50 states. Education and licensing requirements are an important factor in the midwives vs OBGYN discussion for expectant mothers making care choices.

Labor and Delivery Options

Epidurals – Yes, patients with nurse midwives have the same pain relief options as with physicians, including epidurals, IV pain medicine and nitrous oxide.

Cesarean Section – While nurse midwives are not surgeons, they work closely with doctors and can assist during surgery if needed. 

High Risk Pregnancies

If your pregnancy is high-risk, a nurse midwife may still provide care, either alone or with an OB/GYN. For example, if you have diet-controlled gestational diabetes, the midwife can care for you independently. If you need insulin, they may work with a physician to manage your treatment. 

Additional Women’s Health Services

Yes, nurse midwives perform Pap smears and offer primary and gynecological care alongside pregnancy and postpartum services.

For more information about pregnancy and childbirth at Baptist Health, visit MyBaptistHealthBaby.com to learn more about midwives vs OBGYN.