Midwives cannot, however, perform C-sections. If your birth calls for this or certain other procedures, your midwife will bring in an OB-GYN doctor to assist.

Can certified nurse midwives do C sections?

While licensed and certified midwives are highly trained, they cannot perform cesarean sections on their own. They can prescribe epidurals and labor-inducing drugs, but they are less likely to do so compared to doctors.

Do midwives have lower C section rates?

After analyzing more than 23,000 deliveries in 11 northwestern hospitals by women with no known medical complications or risk factors, researchers found that for births handled by a midwife, the C-section rate was 30% lower among first-time mothers and 40% lower among those who had previously given birth, compared to ...