A midwife holding a newborn baby and smiling.

Midwives – Strengthening Communities

The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) created National Midwifery Week to celebrate and recognize midwives and midwife-led care. This year, Midwifery Week (#NWM2023) will be celebrated October 1-7, 2023, with the theme “Strengthening Communities.”  

As a whole, midwives are committed to equitable, ethical, accessible, and quality healthcare for all, striving for justice on many fronts: 

  • Ending racial discrimination 
  • Ensuring access to birth choices and full-spectrum reproductive healthcare
  • Eliminating gender bias 
  • Supporting LGBTQIA+ rights 
  • … and more  

The midwifery model of care fosters compassionate collaborations and personalizes care based on each person’s life experiences and expertise.  

As the professional association that represents certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs), ACNM sets the standard for excellence in midwifery education and practice in the United States.  

Members of ACNM are primary care providers for women throughout their lives, with a special emphasis on pregnancy, childbirth, and gynecologic and reproductive health. The most recent report from ACNM shows that there were 13,524 CNMs in the US as of 2022, and they attended 10.3% of total U.S. births. 

The Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses (OAAPN) is proud to represent the interests of more than 16,000 APRNs currently practicing in Ohio and continually advocates at local, state, and federal levels for the recognition of APRNs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, accessible healthcare for all Ohioans.   

As we recognize the CNMs among our membership and throughout Ohio during National Midwifery Week, please take a moment to acknowledge their collective impact of the profession on women’s health and say thank you!