Today's Nurse-Midwives provide personal, family-centered care which focuses on health and wellness.
Certified Nurse-Midwives
(Back) Bridget Wieczorek, CNM, MSN,
Lydia Rhodes, CNM, MSN
and Anita Jaynes, CNM, MS, MA
(Front) Heather Ramsey, CNM, MSN
A Certified Nurse-Midwife is educated in the fields of nursing and
midwifery. To become certified, a registered nurse must complete an
additional one to two years of study in a nationally accredited school of
nurse-midwifery and pass a national examination given by the American
College of Nurse-Midwives. In addition, she is licensed by the State of
Nebraska as both a Registered Nurse and as a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM).
All of the Nurse-Midwives at The Nebraska Medical Center have a minimum of a Master's degree.
What Services Does a Nurse-Midwife Offer?
Prenatal Care
- Complete health care for the pregnant woman
- Healthy pregnancy counseling including nutrition and exercise
- Relaxed atmosphere providing time for questions and concerns
- Family oriented; father and siblings are encouraged to attend
- Childbirth, sibling, breast-feeding, and infant care classes are available
Free Preconceptional Counseling
- Review of past medical and genetic history
- Immunization status
- Nutrition and exercise counseling
- Prenatal vitamins
- Pregnancy testing
Well-Woman Care
- Annual physical exams and pap smears
- Family planning and contraceptive counseling
- Gynecologic care and counseling
- Perimenopause and menopausal care
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Weight control and smoking cessation
- Adolescent care
- General health education
Labor and Birth Options
- Your own perUNMC Community Health Centerl "Birth Plan" including (but not limited to) any of the following:
- Water therapy
- Natural pain relief
- Pain medication and/or epidural if needed
- No episiotomy*
- No IV*
- Non-continuous fetal monitoring*
- Family involvement at birth
* unless determined medically necessary
Postpartum Care
- Care of the mother after delivery, including 2 week and 6 week checkups
- Breast-feeding education and support
Where Will I Have My Baby?
- Most births occur in a "home like" LDR (Labor, Delivery, and
Recovery). In the event that Labor & Delivery is full, women are
transferred to private postpartum rooms with sleeper sofas for their
partner/spouse. Free tours are available.
- Future plans include the option of an out-of-hospital birthing
center for low-risk pregnancies.
- The State of Nebraska does not allow Nurse-Midwives to attend home births.
What If A Problem Arises?
- Nurse-Midwives work in a collaborative agreement with several obstetricians. They also work closely with nurses and other health care professionals.
If a complication occurs, the Nurse-Midwife will consult with a collaborative physician, assuring you of the highest quality of care.
For more informational on the role of the nurse midwife, click on the
following link:
Date last updated: July 14, 2008