Run Down of midwifery training?

[BlessedBottomz]

Does anyone have good links on how you exactly become a midwife and what it all costs? When I went to college after highschool, my major was premed and I wanted to go in Obstetrics and gynocology, but the continuing look at dead bodies really urked me so I switched my studies to biology. I have always been fascinated with childbirth and was wondering if being a midwife would be a good alternate since I much rather prefer the womanly aspect of labor, verses the hospital way of things.

[sumama]

The Texas Department of Health has a good program. You don't have to live in Texas to do it. www.texasmidwives.com

Also, Parkland Hospital in Dallas has highly repected Midwifery school.

[teachinmamaof4]

Some of us here on the boards are currently enrolled or soon to be enrolled with the Midwife To Be program.

[emmabella]

A good place to start is the MEAC (Midwifery Education Accreditation Council) website. They have lots of great info on direct entry midwifery schools and tips for aspiring midwifery students. Most accredited DEM schools range from $15,000-$40,000 depending on their program offerings and last three years. Many students take longer than that to complete their training and become certified/licensed.

[teachinmamaof4]

But you don't have to attend a MEAC accredited school.

[BlessedBottomz]

Am I looking at this wrong? $800 from start to finish for the Midwife to be Correspondance course? What does that make you? A certified midwife for home births? Or just a certified midwife to be? I'm just confused because I thought it cost thousands of dollards to become a midwife. I am very new jumping into all of this so sorry for my ignorance

[teachinmamaof4]

Yes, that is correct. Plus the expense of books.

This is how I understand it...
When you complete the MTB program you'll be ready to sit for the NARM to get your CPM. When you do that, you'll have more expenses. If I understand it correctly, about $1400 ($700 for the PEP and $700 for the test).

If you go thru a MEAC school it will be thousands of dollars. But you won't have as many expenses when you take the NARM.

You can read more at NARMs website: http://www.narm.org/htb.htm

[erad76]

Miodwifery Today has some good resources on that various paths to becoming a midwife. they may not have a breakdown of the varios ways in an excel table with costs included, but they do have books on the pros and cons of nisrse midwifery vs. direct entry. from there you can do your own research into how much various paths will cost you.
i don't think anyone has metioned the straight-up aprenticeship method. of vourse you will be paying in time versus hard cash, but some people have more of that than green.

[emmabella]

Quote:

Originally Posted by teachinmamaof4 This is how I understand it... When you complete the MTB program you'll be ready to sit for the NARM to get your CPM. When you do that, you'll have more expenses. If I understand it correctly, about $1400 ($700 for the PEP and $700 for the test). If you go thru a MEAC school it will be thousands of dollars. But you won't have as many expenses when you take the NARM.

Unfortunately NARM/CPM isn't the only consideration for many midwives (to-be). When you go to pursue state licensure it can make that process substantially more difficult to have gone through an independent self-study program. Several states require a three year accredited program.

I'm definitely not bashing MTB, as it is very affordable (certainly more so than AAMI) but it is not the best path for everyone. I know for me personally, I need to be learning face to face from experienced midwives and to have the comraderie of my fellow students on a week to week basis. That is worth the investment for me.

[teachinmamaof4]

Quote:

Unfortunately NARM/CPM isn't the only consideration for many midwives (to-be). When you go to pursue state licensure it can make that process substantially more difficult to have gone through an independent self-study program. Several states require a three year accredited program. I'm definitely not bashing MTB, as it is very affordable (certainly more so than AAMI) but it is not the best path for everyone. I know for me personally, I need to be learning face to face from experienced midwives and to have the comraderie of my fellow students on a week to week basis. That is worth the investment for me.

Yes, I realize that. I know states vary on their regulations of mw. I was trying to give a simple explaination of how you gain the CPM status with NARM. Perhaps I got something wrong...I'm still new to all this myself. She didn't ask about state regulations/requirements so I didn't go there.

I'm not at all trying to "sell" MTB. It's just the only one I'm most familiar with right now because I've been looking at them for my training.

[heathenmamaof5]

I checked out Seattle School of Midwiferey, Midwives College of Utah, Elizabeth Davis' Heart and Hands, New Mexico School of Midwiferey. I think going to Midwiferey Today's site is a good place to start...

I'm planning onm applying to MCU next year. It's a three year program, I'd graduate with a BA in Midwiferey and be prepared to sit the NARM. Calif does insist on the 3 yr,accredited school with apprenticeship and all clinical skills signed off. Did this help???

[BlessedBottomz]

You gals have all helped so much. I am in California and I think I would much rather enjoy hands on learning as apposed to distance, just the $$ factor. Do you know if you can get financial aid, like FAFSA or something because it is schooling?

[heathenmamaof5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlessedBottomz You gals have all helped so much. I am in California and I think I would much rather enjoy hands on learning as apposed to distance, just the $$ factor. Do you know if you can get financial aid, like FAFSA or something because it is schooling?

Well that is a problem. Last year when I researched all this stuff only the Seattle School of Midwiferey had financial aid. I went to several banks and the small business administration and they all told me the same thing. Take a second mortgage out on your house. Well we're not quite comfortable with that, after all we have five kids that will be going to college too! Since then MCU (Midwives College of Utah) has changed their payment policy so you can pay $500 a month. I'm not sure what we're going to do and a second may happen, but we have a year to figure it out. I want to complete my Dona Birth and PP Certs and my Cappa Certified Lactation Educator cert and then apply to MW school. I'm giving myself a year.

One thing I would suggest is contacting CAM (Calif Association of Midwives) they have a website and an 800 #. I'm thinking you could get info through them. Also check out MANA (can't think of what their accronim is for).

MCU is set up so I'll do the academics through them with distance learning. But I also will apprentice with a MW here locally. She will help me with my clinical skills and proxy tests for me. MCU also offers workshops for clinical skills, so I could travel to Utah for mini conferences for things like suturing or IV therapy or neo-natal resusitation. We (dh & I) figured the whole process would cost about $33,000, including books, workshops, conferences, etc...

Hope this helped

[emmabella]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlessedBottomz You gals have all helped so much. I am in California and I think I would much rather enjoy hands on learning as apposed to distance, just the $$ factor. Do you know if you can get financial aid, like FAFSA or something because it is schooling?

Yes! Many of the accredited schools have federal financial aid and also offer their own scholarships. I know for a fact that Seattle Midiwfery School, Birthingway & Birthwise all qualify you for title IV funds. You can read their financial aid pages here:
http://birthwisemidwifery.org/finaid.html
http://birthingway.org/financial_aid.html
http://www.seattlemidwifery.org/midw...inancial%20Aid