Direct-entry midwife

A direct-entry midwife, also known as a lay midwife, is an uncertified or unlicensed midwife who gained experience through self-study or apprenticeships instead through formal education. These midwives are also known for being "more natural and less intervention oriented." In other words, midwives don't employ methods for childbirth that physicians in hospitals commonly use such as caesarean section, forceps and other types of equipment and drugs.

While direct-entry midwifery is popular and legal in many cultures around the world, it struggles to gain legality in several states in the U.S. Nurse-midwives can practice legally in all 50 states however, direct-entry midwives are regulated and licensed in 23 states.

23 states don’t regulate midwifery or provide an avenue for licensure. Penalties for practicing direct-entry midwifery range from a misdemeanor to a Class C Felony. These states include Alabama, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota and West Virginia.

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