Nurse Midwives
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
The work covers prenatal, birth, postpartum, and newborn care, done independently or with a healthcare team. That includes listening for a fetal heartbeat, taking uterine measurements, identifying fetal position, and estimating size and weight, then documenting histories, symptoms, and exam findings. Family planning is part of the job too: inserting intrauterine devices, dispensing oral contraceptives, and fitting cervical barriers, along with prescribing medications where state rules allow, ordering and interpreting lab tests, and writing individualized care plans. Procedures get explained to patients, families, and staff. Suits people who like close, ongoing patient work, careful physical assessment, and explaining procedures to families throughout pregnancy and birth.
Typical education: Master’s Degree
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$134'040
Median Wage Market Position
$134'040
What you might do
- Provide prenatal, birth, postpartum, and newborn care
- Monitor fetal heartbeat, position, size, and growth
- Insert IUDs and fit cervical caps or diaphragms
- Document health histories, symptoms, and exam findings
- Prescribe medicines as state rules allow
- Explain procedures to patients and their families
Skills that matter
- Listening for the fetal heartbeat
- Clear explanations of birth and contraception
- Written records of pregnancy and symptoms
- Ordering and reading prenatal lab tests
- Inserting IUDs and fitting cervical barriers
- Noticing how pregnancy or labor is changing
AI & the future of this role
Labor support and reproductive care hinge on in-person assessment, emotional trust, and hands-on clinical skill. Scheduling and education materials could see AI help, while licensed childbirth attendance and patient relationships tend to hold up well.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details