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Aspirus U.P. hospitals celebrate certified nurse midwives during
 National Midwifery Week

It’s National Midwifery Week Sept. 29 – Oct. 5, and Aspirus is celebrating by calling special attention to the important role certified nurse midwives play for women and families each day.

Certified nurse midwives are best known for supporting women who choose to have a more natural labor and delivery experience. But delivering babies is not all that they do. Midwives provide comprehensive primary care for women from their teenage years through adulthood – and beyond.

“The word midwife means ‘with woman’ which is fitting because a woman’s health is a journey and we take it right along with her,” said Allison Harr, CNM, certified nurse midwife at Aspirus Ironwood Hospital in Ironwood. “We empower women to make healthy choices about lifestyle, safety and wellness, and are here to provide nurturing, personalized care for women of all ages and stages of life.”

Certified nurse midwives are licensed registered nurses who graduated from an accredited college or university, obtained an advanced degree in midwifery, and passed a national certification exam. This background, along with extensive hands-on clinical training, enables them to offer a full range of primary care to women.

Primary care for women includes the following:

• Well-woman exams, including doing Pap tests and breast exams.

• Health education about screenings, tests and vaccines.

• Family planning counseling

• Emotional, practical and social support.

• Treatment of sexually transmitted infections.

• Writing prescriptions for treatments and medications, including pain control medicines.

• Education about basic nutrition and parenting.

• Helping women navigate menopause.

 

In the Upper Peninsula, Aspirus offers midwifery care at three of its four hospital locations. Christiann Rosemurgy, CNM, sees patients at Aspirus Keweenaw and Aspirus Ontonagon hospitals. Cindy Beale, CNM, sees patients at Aspirus Keweenaw. Harr is the newest certified nurse midwife to join Aspirus Ironwood’s team of providers.

For more information about midwifery care, or to schedule an appointment with a provider at an Aspirus location near you, go to aspirus.org.

Want to know more about labor and delivery services at Aspirus? Tune in to Christiann Rosemurgy’s podcast about nitrous oxide as an alternative comfort option.

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