AAMI ACCESS is a monthly newsletter for students of midwifery and related birth work. Issues contain birthing news and resources, motivational quotes, recipes and aids for healthy living, and helpful information for all students, particularly students of birth. ACCESS membership advantages include discounts and incentives for offerings from Ancient Art Midwifery Institute not offered anywhere else.

AAM’s Free Quizzes are a free monthly subscription-based service offered to those interested in birth and midwifery. Quiz topics include conception, pregnancy, labor, postpartum, newborn, breastfeeding, nutrition, holistic healthcare, and more. Submit correct answers with documentation of sources used to verify answers to be entered in our quarterly drawing of fabulous prizes.

AAM’s NARM FOCUS $300 NARM FOCUS enrollees will concentrate on completion of some of the most relevant curriculum assignments. Completion of those will be very beneficial to your goal of completing the AMS course. It is a very affordable option that offers a chance to learn in a really “focused” way! The purpose of the NARM FOCUS option is to help prepare our students for the written NARM test while completing Advanced Midwifery Studies. A passing score on the NARM written exam has often been achieved by our enrollees long before graduation. This option is designed to help our enrollees who are CPM candidates prepare for the written test FIRST, but we do not want any student to choose the NARM Focus option unless she fully intends to complete the entire AMS course. Even if you do not intend to take the NARM exam, the Focus can help you complete assignments and prepare for AMS exams. The NARM FOCUS option is only available for Advanced Midwifery Studies enrollees who have completed Beginning Midwifery Studies. https://www.AncientArtMidwifery.com/course-options/ The fee for the NARM Focus option is only $300 and entitles the participant to: • 1-year extension • Access to VARNEY Study Questions • 25 weeks of intensive preparation for the NARM written exam in the form of private tutoring, goal setting, and weekly practice questions. • $20 store voucher for providing proof of a passing score on the NARM written exam. Guidelines: It is highly recommended that you have been in an active apprenticeship for several months prior to establishing your NARM exam date. In some cases, you may be required to complete an apprenticeship and most of an academic program prior to applying for the NARM exam. You can enroll in the NARM Focus well before you intend to test and defer the 25 weeks of tutoring until the 6 months prior to test date. During the 25 Week NARM Focus • Create a schedule and a plan for accomplishment and ask the tutor for input and suggestions. She may offer weekly goals and specify which assignments she believes you need to concentrate on. • Be accountable. Let your tutor know what you accomplished and what you fell behind on each week. • Focus on the assignment list that AAM provides and ask for suggestions from the tutor. • Spend time learning from experienced midwives in any way that you can: workshops, conferences, conference tapes, and online lists or study groups. Be careful, if you have limited time, to be very selective about online groups as many of the posts are NOT educational. Focus on those that you actually learn from. • Eliminate other activities that are inconsistent with your goals and that might deter you from meeting your target date. • As always, ask for help when you need it. • Attend an AAMidwifery Skills Lab or other hands-on-skills conference if at all possible. Disclaimer: AAM does not officially promote the NARM CPM credentialing process, or believe that the credential is equivalent to, or necessary for, superior midwifery practice. However, we fully support our enrollees who are working toward that or any other credential. We do not offer the NARM FOCUS to non-AAMidwifery enrollees. https://www.AncientArtMidwifery.com/course-options/

Introduction to Midwifery is $399 online or $597 as a mail-in-course. You can enroll online and start immediately by clicking here.

Introduction to Midwifery (ITM) is available online-only or as a correspondence mail-in course. ITM is a basic program for aspiring midwives and those who are investigating the possibility of a future in midwifery. Introduction to Midwifery is the PERFECT prerequisite to any midwifery program. It is also a GREAT review for any midwife and will provide valuable information that will change the way you practice!

The primary required textbook is Helping Hands, The Apprentice Workbook by Carla Hartley (available as an ebook download in the online course, with relevant section included in the mail-in course). Please keep in mind that there are other books and expenses required. Most applicants take 12 months to complete the program and the majority of those who complete the Introduction to Midwifery (ITM) program go on to enroll in the Advanced Midwifery Studies (AMS) (our 48 month program). We have recently revised this program so that 100% of the work you do in Introduction to Midwifery will now transfer to our AMS program should you decide to enroll after you complete ITM! Students who enroll in AMS within six months of completing ITM, will will receive a $400 credit towards their AMS tuition.

“I value the Introduction to Midwifery Program, not only for the very valuable information, but also for the organizational skills I am developing. I feel a great deal of self-confidence at having completed it. The material covered in the program gave me an idea of the broad spectrum of skills and information necessary for one to serve birthing women in a competent and compassionate manner.”

“This program covers much more ground than most ‘courses’ I know about. I was really confident about starting the 3-year course after finishing ITM and was glad to find I had already completed some of the requirements!”

“The three year course may not be for everyone, but I think that everyone who wants to be a midwife MUST enroll in Introduction to Midwifery. I know midwives who won’t even consider an apprentice unless she has taken ITM and now I know why!”

“I recently completed another 3 year program, and yet, just getting started on ITM showed me that my 3 year course was lacking! This is such a great way to learn. I wish I had found it first.”

Who should take Introduction to Midwifery, AAM’s 12 month midwifery program?

• Anyone who wants a short term project or commitment. Even experienced midwives will learn a lot with the program. Many doulas and childbirth educators take this course for the purpose of review and ongoing study.
• Anyone who wants to add a certificate to their wall. We have a reputation for excellence that means that any certificate from Ancient Art Midwifery is impressive. Our own graduates have come back after a previous  class and added ITM to their list of credentials.
• Anyone who is not sure that she wants to be a midwife. This course is designed to be an introduction to the kind of information that must be covered in the study of midwifery. We always recommend that aspiring midwives, doulas or childbirth educators who are younger than college age should take Introduction to Midwifery first.

Should I take Introduction to Midwifery first and then apply for Advanced Midwifery Studies? This is a decision only you can make. I usually advise students who are absolutely positive that they want to become a midwife, and who are ready for the intense learning experience that our Advanced course has to offer, to go ahead and jump right in as the Completion of Introduction to Midwifery is required in the first phase of enrollment in the 48-month AMS course anyway. However, if you have any hesitation, start with the 12 month program. If you decide to move on to the 48-month course after completing ITM, you will have already completed most of the first phase! As mentioned previously, if you complete ITM within 12 months, there are discounts available for enrollment in Advanced Midwifery Studies.

Take the quiz – if you got most of them correct without referring to any text, then maybe you should skip enrolling in only Introduction to Midwifery and consider enrolling in Advanced Midwifery Studies. You may find you go through ITM very quickly and are ready for AMS soon! However, if you miss one it doesn’t mean that particular question is covered in the course… these test questions are just a representation of the general level of knowledge you would have after ITM.

Take the "So You Want To Be A Midwife" Quiz

How do I enroll in Introduction to Midwifery? Click here and get started! 

From Patricia: “After the paper work is completed, every student of birth has the need to acquire an in depth knowledge of the practical skills necessary to advance in her training. The hands on nature of the skills lab will enable you to begin this part of your midwifery training. My focus with you will be to learn to develop an intuitive sense of caring for the pregnant woman and her family, incorporating these skills along with the obvious use of tools that you will use to serve families. Each phase of pregnancy and birth is covered in detail beginning with your initial contact with her and her family through the final postpartum visit. The focus will be on basic, practical midwifery that you can build on over years. We will work, hands on, with learning about what to expect in normal pregnancy, birth and postpartum as well as recognizing when complications are developing and what to do to normalize or refer as needed.” If you have them available, please bring any basic tools you may already have, I.E., stethoscope, BP cuff, pinard etc. Patricia Edmonds has been serving as a midwife since 1976. She received her initial training through a one year intensive program at the Northwestern School of Practical Midwifery. She gave birth twice at home in the early years of her service. She was a student at Apprentice Academics, served as a founding mother for the Oregon Midwifery Council, where she received her initial certification. She served as editor of “Birthing” the newsletter for Oregon’s midwifery community for 15 years. She became licensed and carried that license for 5 years before resigning it. She continues to serve as a midwife in her community, caring for the second generation of homebirth families in her service. Her focus now is to make an attempt to redirect and normalize midwifery back into a more traditional role of homebirth guardianship through teaching of which the skills labs play a major role. Attendance at a Midwifery SkillsLab satisfies one of the Advanced Midwifery Studies Section 3 curriculum options. No children are allowed, other than non-mobile nursing babies. Childcare could be arranged or not, as determined by the hostess based on need. You will most likely have to arrange for care of your own children. If you choose to bring your baby, you should understand that if s/he is very young or one who needs a lot of attention, you will not gain optimal benefit from the class. I may ask that you take your baby to another room if s/he becomes fussy for longer than a short period of time, in which case you will miss part of the content. Additionally, it is not fair to expect that other participants will watch your baby repeatedly while you do your skills practice, although we are often willing to do so. However, there are skills that we all do as a group (e.g. suturing), so no one will be available during those times. I know this sounds extremely harsh, and is certainly not in keeping with the baby-love we all feel as midwives, but I feel it is only fair to make this clear before you register for the MSL. Please feel free to contact your hostess or myself with any questions you might have. You can reach me here. If you would like to schedule a Skills Lab, please contact [email protected] . Thank you for your interest in the Midwifery SkillsLab.