Licensed Midwives are individuals licensed to practice midwifery. A midwife may attend cases of normal pregnancy and childbirth, provide prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care.
Attention! We are seeking applications from interested parties to fill one licensed midwife position and one public member position on the Midwifery Advisory Council (MAC). The two vacant positions serve a three-year term that will run through June 30, 2026. Vacancy Letter - Member Application
Midwifery Practice
A "licensed midwife" is an individual who has been issued a license to practice midwifery by the Medical Board of
California. The practice of midwifery authorizes the licensee to attend cases of normal pregnancy and childbirth,
and to provide prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care, including family-planning care, for the mother, and
immediate care (first 6 weeks) for the newborn. The practice of midwifery constitutes the furthering or undertaking by any licensed
midwife to assist a woman in childbirth as long as progress meets criteria accepted as normal.
The Medical Board of California has recently received several inquiries regarding
the provisions of Section 2514 of the Business and Professions Code and the practice
of midwifery by a student.
Section 2514 states:
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent a bona fide student from engaging
in the practice of midwifery in this state, as part of their course of study,
if both of the following conditions are met:
The student is under the supervision of a licensed midwife or certified nurse-midwife,
who holds a clear and unrestricted license in this state, who is present on the
premises at all times client services are provided, and who is practicing pursuant
to Section 2507 or 2746.5, or a physician and surgeon.
The client is informed of the student’s status.
For the purposes of this section, a “bona fide student” means an individual who
is enrolled and participating in a midwifery education program or who is enrolled
in a program of supervised clinical training as part of the instruction of a three
year postsecondary midwifery education program approved by the board.
Most of these inquiries involve individuals who may have executed a formal agreement
to be supervised by a licensed midwife but are not enrolled in any approved midwifery
education program. In some cases, the individual represents that he or she is “studying
midwifery on their own”. In either of these circumstances, the individual is
not a bona fide student because he or she is not formally enrolled
in a midwifery educational institution or a program of supervised midwifery clinical
training as part of the instruction of a three year postsecondary midwifery education
program approved by the board. A student must be formally enrolled at a midwifery
educational institution in order to participate in a program of supervised midwifery
clinical training that is offered by that educational institution. A written agreement
between a licensed midwife and a "student" does not qualify as a "program
of supervised clinical training" as the training is not part of the instruction
of a three year postsecondary midwifery education program approved by the board.
Accordingly, these types of arrangements are not permissible as they are not consistent
with the provisions of section 2514.
The three-year program at each of the following approved midwifery schools has been accepted as meeting the educational requirements for a license as a midwife in California. Approval was granted based on the program meeting the qualifications listed in Business and Professions Code 2512.5 and California Code of Regulations, Title 16, Section 1379.30
An applicant who has satisfactorily completed the three-year program at one of the approved midwifery schools must ask the school to submit directly to the board a verification of graduation. Note: If the school is no longer in operation, the applicant must submit sufficient supporting documentation to verify graduation from the approved program.
The challenge mechanism programs at the following approved midwifery schools have been accepted. As defined in statute, the challenge
mechanism process allows students to obtain credit by examination for previous midwifery education and clinical experience.
The profession of midwifery also has another designation, that of "certified nurse-midwife" (CNM). CNMs are licensed by
the California Board of Registered Nursing. CNMs are registered nurses who acquired additional training in the field of
obstetrics and are certified by the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM). They commonly work in hospitals and
birthing centers that are also licensed by the state. Further information or verification of licensure for a CNM may be
obtained by contacting the Board of Registered Nursing at (916) 322-3350, (800) 838-6828, or at
rn.ca.gov.
