American Association of Birth Centers (AABC; https://www.birthcenters.org) Multidisciplinary membership organization that promotes and supports birth centers as safe environments for minimal-intervention birth Scope of practice  Birth center provides a mother-centered range of services to meet the physical, emotional, socioeconomic, informational, and medical needs of the client as listed in the AABC Standards for Birth Centers Freestanding birth center is a distinct and separate space (not a hospital) for childbirth where the care provided is defined by the principles of midwifery AABC Standards for Birth Centers set national standards to assess the quality of services provided to childbearing families in birth centers American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM; https://www.midwife.org) Professional association that represents certified nurse midwives and certified midwives Scope of practice: provide primary care, gynecologic, and family planning services for patients from adolescence to beyond menopause, including:  Care during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum period  Care of normal newborn during the first 28 days of life  Preconception care Practice in a variety of settings, including:  Ambulatory care clinics  Birth centers  Homes  Hospitals  Private offices  Public health systems Must meet the Core Competencies for Basic Midwifery Practice and must practice in accordance with the Standards for the Practice of Midwifery as defined by the ACNM Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA; https://www.mana.org) Professional midwifery organization that is inclusive of all midwives regardless of educational route to midwifery Scope of practice  MANA Core Competencies establish the essential knowledge, clinical skills, and critical thinking necessary for entry-level practice for direct-entry midwifery Midwife may practice in any setting, including home, community, hospital, or clinic Each midwife will develop practice guidelines for their services that are in agreement with the MANA Standards and Qualifications for the Art and Practice of Midwifery, the MANA Statement of Values and Ethics, and the MANA Core Competencies for Midwifery Practice National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM; https://www.nacpm.org) Membership organization representing certified professional midwives Scope of practice  Members are trained to recognize abnormal or dangerous conditions needing expert help outside their scope  Members have a plan for consultation and referral, and provide emergency care for mothers and babies until additional assistance is available  Offer care, education, counseling, and support to patients and their families throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period Members practice primarily in out-of-hospital settings NACPM Standards of Practice provide a tool for measuring actual practice and appropriate use of the body of knowledge of midwifery North American Registry of Midwives (NARM; http://www.narm.org) Mission is to provide and maintain an evaluation process for multiple routes of midwifery education and training and to identify best practices to set the standards for the certified professional midwife credential Scope of practice  Derived from the NARM Job Analysis, state laws and regulations, and individual practice guidelines developed by each midwife according to their skills and knowledge Certified professional midwives work with their clients to:  Monitor the pregnancy, labor, birth, and newborn and postpartum periods  Promote a healthy pregnancy  Provide education for informed decision-making  Recommend appropriate management in collaboration with other health care professionals when necessary if complications arise Most certified professional midwives work in private homes or birth centers NARM does not set protocols for all certified professional midwives to follow but requires that they develop their own practice guidelines based on standards, values, and ethics held by the midwife