Elizabeth Bary, RN, CNM, and Alison Reid, RN, CNM, are two of only three Certified Nurse-
Midwives in the entire Louisville metropolitan region. Both Elizabeth and Alison are available
to provide moms with an intimate and personal birth experience at Clark Memorial Hospital’s
Family Birth Place.

The number of births being overseen by nurse-midwives is on the rise. The American College of
Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) estimates that soon 10% of babies in the U.S. will be delivered by
Certified Nurse-Midwives, up from 3% just ten years ago. Worldwide, midwives deliver more than
two-thirds of births.

Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are registered nurses who graduate from a nurse-midwifery
program accredited by the American College of Nurse-Midwives, and pass a national certification
exam. CNMs are educated in both nursing and midwifery and can practice anywhere in the U.S.
(In contrast, Direct-Entry Midwives, also called Lay, Licensed, or Professional Midwives, practice
midwifery, but they are not registered nurses, and are not certified.)

A Nurse-Midwife is an advanced practice nurse with additional training around delivering babies and
providing prenatal and postpartum care to women. They are very involved in labor and delivery,
sometimes never leaving the mother during the entire labor process, and will consult with a physician
who may become involved in the delivery if needed.

Although qualified to administer drugs and perform medical procedures, those interventions are not
routine for nurse-midwives, and they are used only when the mother requests them.

In addition to delivering babies, nurse-midwives can also provide both prenatal and postpartum care
for mothers and newborns. In addition, nurse-midwives provide family planning and birth control
counseling, and normal gynecological services such as: physical and breast exams, pap smears, and
preventive health screening. In most states, nurse-midwives may prescribe medications.