What does a midwife do?

A lot of people have asked what I went to school for and when I told them I was studying to be a midwife their faces would sometimes take on this vacant stare. So I thought I'd talk a little about what a midwife actually does.

Midwives are highly trained professionals who provide primary care, gynecological care, preconception care, prenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care, family planning,and menopausal care. Midwives listen to women. When you see a midwife you become a partner in and take ownership of your own health care.
We see clients in the office or clinic and work on labor in delivery units, birth centers or at a client's home.
There are many different types of training to become a midwife. CNM's are midwives who previously obtained nursing degrees. Most CNM's entering the field now are masters trained, although not all. CM's receive the same training as CNM's minus the nursing training. Many states recognize the CPM (Certified Professional Midwife) These midwives train through a different path and are also highly qualified healthcare professionals.
My training is as a nurse midwife. Once I pass my boards, I will be a CNM. For more info about the different types of midwives, check out http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/midwives.html