Nurse midwives are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who see women of all ages for annual exams, regular pregnancy exams, menopausal care and more. You could say this profession is similar to that of an obstetrician and gynecologist, although there are some significant differences. A nurse midwife is a registered nurse who has a graduate degree in midwifery, whereas an obstetrician and gynecologist has completed medical school and a residency program that qualifies him or her to perform surgeries. This means nurse midwives are equipped to handle normal pregnancies, but only an obstetrician and gynecologist could perform a cesarean section, for example. 

The writers of the BBC period drama "Call the Midwife" might have said it best when they opened their fourth season with the lines, "Birth is the smallest of magnificent things and the greatest of little ones. … [For midwives] each one was as ordinary and magical as the sunrise, as familiar and different as a breaking day." 

Still, many women turn to midwives because they want a drug- and intervention-free approach to childbirth and more one-on-one time with their health care provider. Ginger Breedlove, former president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, writes in an email, "I’m always moved when I’ve finished an appointment and hear a woman say, ’No one has ever spent this amount of time discussing issues – or cared enough to make sure I understood – or even waited for me to ask more questions.’" 

Midwifery is growing. And Breedlove points out that there are many areas of the country that are medically underserved or aren’t served at all by maternity care providers such as nurse midwives, obstetricians or gynecologists.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 6.4% employment growth for nurse midwives between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 500 jobs should open up.

Most nurse midwives start their careers as registered nurses with a bachelor’s of science in nursing under their belts. The next step is getting into a midwifery program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education. After completing their graduate degree, nurse midwives need to pass the American Midwifery Certification Board exam.