If midwives improve outcomes, why aren't more women working with them?

Midwifery care is known to improve outcomes, including avoiding unnecessary medical interventions, preterm birth, and neonatal death. However, only 8-9% of births in the US are attended by Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM). Ovia’s research findings from over 3,000 women, published and presented with the American College of Nurse Midwives, showed many women have misconceptions about the types of conditions midwives can manage or co-manage, and therefore unnecessarily self-select out of midwifery care.

Ovia educates our members about the qualifications and capacities of all types of providers, including encouraging and navigating members to care by Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM).