What Does a Midwife DoDuring Pregnancy?
What Does a Midwife Do During Pregnancy? A California Licensed Midwife Explains
If you're exploring your options for pregnancy care, you may be wondering what a midwife actually does. Midwives are healthcare providers who specialize in pregnancy, birth, postpartum care, and newborn care. In California, Licensed Midwives (LMs) provide comprehensive care for healthy, low-risk pregnancies and support families through one of life's most important transitions.
As a California Licensed Midwife (LM) and Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), my role is to provide personalized, evidence-based care that centers the needs and goals of each family.
What Is a Licensed Midwife?
A Licensed Midwife (LM) is a healthcare professional licensed by the California Medical Board to provide maternity care for healthy, low-risk pregnancies. A Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) is a nationally recognized credential earned through extensive education, clinical training, and examination.
Licensed Midwives are trained to:
Provide prenatal care
Monitor maternal and fetal health
Order laboratory tests
Interpret routine prenatal screening results
Support labor and birth
Provide postpartum care
Perform newborn assessments
Identify complications and arrange consultation or transfer when necessary
Midwives focus on supporting normal physiological pregnancy and birth while maintaining safety for both mother and baby.
What Does a Midwife Do During Prenatal Care?
Prenatal care with a midwife includes many of the same medical screenings and assessments you would receive in a traditional obstetric practice, but appointments are often longer and more personalized.
During prenatal visits, your midwife may:
Monitor your baby's growth and position
Listen to your baby's heartbeat
Check your blood pressure and overall health
Order and review laboratory testing
Screen for gestational diabetes
Discuss nutrition and healthy pregnancy habits
Answer questions about labor, birth, and postpartum recovery
Help create your birth preferences
Provide emotional support and education
Many families appreciate having time to ask questions and develop a trusting relationship with their provider throughout pregnancy.
Support During Labor and Birth
One of the most important roles of a midwife is providing continuous support during labor and birth.
Your midwife monitors both mother and baby throughout labor, assesses progress, provides comfort measures, and helps families navigate the birth process with confidence.
For families choosing home birth, the midwife brings the necessary equipment and supplies to safely support labor and delivery, including emergency medications, oxygen, newborn resuscitation equipment, and other tools needed to respond appropriately if complications arise.
Midwives are trained to recognize when additional medical care is needed and work closely with local hospitals and physicians when consultation or transfer becomes necessary.
Postpartum Care Doesn't End After Birth
The postpartum period is often called the "fourth trimester," and it is one of the most important times for ongoing support.
A midwife continues caring for both mother and baby after delivery by monitoring healing, supporting feeding goals, screening for postpartum mood concerns, and ensuring newborns are transitioning well.
Postpartum care may include:
Physical recovery assessments
Breastfeeding and lactation support
Newborn weight checks
Feeding evaluations
Emotional wellness screening
Family adjustment support
Education about newborn care
Many midwives provide multiple postpartum visits to ensure families feel supported during the first weeks after birth.
Is Midwifery Care Right for You?
Midwifery care may be a good fit if you are looking for:
Longer prenatal appointments
Personalized care
A collaborative relationship with your provider
Evidence-based support
Education throughout pregnancy
Home birth services
Holistic pregnancy care
Comprehensive postpartum support
Every family is different, and choosing a provider is a personal decision. Understanding your options can help you select the type of care that aligns with your goals and values.
Midwifery Care at Birthstone Midwifery
At Birthstone Midwifery, we provide personalized prenatal, birth, postpartum, and newborn care for healthy, low-risk families throughout Murrieta, Temecula, Menifee, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, and surrounding Southern California communities.
Our goal is to provide safe, compassionate, evidence-based care while supporting families in making informed decisions throughout pregnancy and birth.
If you're considering midwifery care and would like to learn more, we invite you to schedule a free consultation to discuss your options and determine whether midwifery care is the right fit for your growing family.
