The Midwifery Model of Care

CNMF promotes the midwifery-led model of care. We are committed to supporting
normal physiology and limiting interventions, extending care to persons seeking
sexual and reproductive healthcare across the care continuum.

Midwifery-led care emphasizes physiologic birth which means understanding,
understanding, facilitating, and a avoiding interfering with the body’s natural birth
process unless medically necessary. It emphasizes shared decision making and
respect for an individual’s cultural needs, comfort, and privacy.

​Emphasizing the normalcy of birth, those practicing a midwifery model avoid
practices that might lead to further interventions such as continuous fetal
monitoring in lieu of intermittent fetal auscultation and the use of nonpharmacologic
pain management techniques when safe and desired. The midwife provides care
during the prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, and postnatal periods. Midwives
provide care from adolescence to menopause including reproductive, pregnancy,
postpartum, and abortion care.

About the Foundation

CNMF was born out of a commitment to
addressing health equity and racial justice
through a midwifery model of care that centers
on providing culturally concordant care to
diverse birthing people and their families
wherever they are. Founded in 2019, CNMF is
overseen by a Board of Directors, and is a
501(c)(3) whose work is funded by foundations
and individual donors. CNMF aims to secure
funds to support smaller organizations and
people (particularly BIPOC people), to support
aspiring and student midwives, to diversify the
midwifery workforce, and increase access to
the midwifery model of care through
institutional and systems change.

Our Mission

We are dedicated to enhancing maternal health in California and
addressing disparities in outcomes by advocating for universal access to
the midwifery model of care, driven by a diverse midwifery workforce. Our
work encompasses reproductive care, abortion care, and more; reflecting
a commitment to holistic healthcare.

Midwife Aid & Midwife Advocacy

Our Advocacy & Engagement work includes
anti-racism initiatives, increasing access to
midwifery care through Medi-Cal, and
providing policy and legislative guidance
related to innovative practices and racial
equity.

MAMA

Our GOALS

• Improve access to culturally sensitive midwifery care through
  institutional change.
• Support BIPOC & LGBTQ+ individuals to become midwives to diversify
  the midwifery workforce.
• Strengthen the midwifery profession in California through
  collaborations.

Building Local Options for
Obstetric & Midwifery Support

In our Community & Reproductive Support
efforts, we fund and provide support for
vital community projects, ensuring that
local midwifery services and obstetric care
options are available and accessible.

BLOOM

Supporting Education &
Empowerment for Diverse
Midwifery Students

Through our Education & Support leg, we
offer student scholarships several times
annually, prioritizing BIPOC & LGBTQ+
students pursuing midwifery. These
scholarships cover tuition, books, conference
fees, travel, and educational needs.

SEED

Values

Health Equity

We believe that health equity must inform our work and is essential to address
sexual, reproductive and birth-related health issues in California.

Importance of addressing structural racism

We believe that acknowledging structural racism is critical to making sustainable
change in healthcare settings. Adverse health outcomes, including high rates of
mortality, exist for Black individuals and individuals from other marginalized
communities. These individuals often have chronic stressors resulting from structural
racism that contribute to the complexity of their health care needs.

Midwifery model of care in healthcare settings

CNMF strives to promote leadership and the integration of the midwifery model of
care that includes community birth (home, birth center and hospital), where there is a
seamless interface between the midwifery and medical models of care, and where
team-based care is a reality, and people have the options they desire and need.

Self-determination

Midwifery care includes active listening, respecting self-determination and is based
on education, shared decision-making, and holistic care.

Collaborative approach

We believe that we can amplify our work through collaborations and partnerships
between midwives, professional organizations, and community-based organizations.

GOALS

Goal 1: Diversify the midwifery workforce by supporting people to
become midwives (with a focus on BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people)

• 1.1. Fund organizations and programs to provide outreach, support, and
  training for students of color to become midwives (including giving
  scholarships)
• 1.2. Support preceptor and mentoring programs for midwives in training (with
  a focus on BIPOC and LGBTQ+ midwives)
• 1.3. Support newly graduated midwives (with a focus on BIPOC and LGBTQ+
  midwives)

Goal 2: Ensure access to high-quality, culturally concordant midwifery
care through institutional and systems change

• 2.1 Support increasing access to midwifery care through Medi-Cal (with a
  focus on BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people)
• 2.2 Ensure that nurse midwives are practicing in a variety of healthcare
  settings (implementation of SB1237 with an equity lens)
• 2.3 Provide policy and legislative guidance and advocacy related to
  innovative practices and racial equity

Goal 3: Strengthen the profession of midwifery in California

• 3.1 Participate in equity-focused birthing, maternity and midwifery coalitions
  (e.g., Black Women for Wellness, CCRF) and collaborations to strengthen the
  profession/field
• 3.2 Support outreach efforts to consumers

Goal 4: Strengthen CNMF's infrastructure and ensure sustainability

• 4.1 Support outreach efforts to diversify the board to include a marketing
  specialist, specialist in CalAIM, finance professional, etc.
• 4.2 Create and implement a fund development plan
• 4.3 Explore changing the organization’s name

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PO Box 126; South
Pasadena, CA 91031

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