Man of the hour: Would you have a male midwife?

Midwifery is a field long dominated by women — hence the name — with females comprising more than 99% of certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) in the US.Yet, this April, Peter Johnson, Ph.D., CNM, of Boones Mill, Va., took the reins as the first male president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives.Though many Americans may be unfamiliar with midwives beyond the brilliant British drama series “Call the Midwife” on PBS, having one at your side — male or female — may be very useful.Midwives are advanced nurses who provide comprehensive reproductive and maternity care.

As of 2021, midwives attend around 12% of US births, and that share is rising.“Midwives are essential today because they deliver high-quality, relationship-centered care at a time when access to maternity and women’s health services is shrinking and outcomes are worsening,” said Johnson.“Decades of research show that midwifery-led care is associated with excellent outcomes, lower intervention rates and high patient satisfaction.”The new ACNM president’s midwifery path started as a young nurse in the US Air Force when he was assigned to a hospital maternity unit, around the same time he became a father.“I was struck by how profound the transition through pregnancy and birth is,” recalled Johnson, adding that he was unsettled by highly medicalized maternity care, often at the expense of the human experience.

“It was in that setting that I met practicing midwives for the first time — I was immediately impressed,” he said, ultimately applying to the Air Force midwifery residency in 1984 and becoming a CNM in 1985.Andrew Youmans, CNM, RN, of Ferndale, Mich., is another man who is passionate about midwifery.The registered nurse and Ph.D.

candidate at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, fell into the profession by chance.While searching for clinical jobs in 2012, he started working as a tech in labor and delivery.He also found work as a nurse in another local emergen...