Becoming a Midwife in Colorado – CO

The Colorado Midwives Association raises some good questions that students who are interested in pursuing midwifery training must first ask themselves. If you have a family, are you willing to leave them for 24 hours or more at a time? Do you have reliable transportation? Are you able to go for many hours (sometimes 24 hours) without sleep? Are you willing to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week? These are just some of the considerations that students considering midwifery must ponder. If you have done so and are ready to learn how to become a midwife in Colorado, read on.

In Colorado there are two designations of midwife: Registered Midwife (RM) and Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM). Registered Midwives are also referred to as direct-entry midwives. They are trained in the normal pregnancy and birth process, are the only midwives who may directly attend at a home birth, and consult physicians when necessary. Certified Nurse Midwives have completed registered nurse training and a specific midwife program of study. They are not licensed in Colorado to attend home births. After completing the state’s educational requirements, midwifery candidates must pass Colorado’s Midwife Registration Exam, which will not only earn them the RM credential but also the CPM (Certified Professional Midwife) credential of the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM). Earning this certification opens up jobs calling for both RMs and CPMs in Colorado and increases one’s career opportunities in other states.