Key Takeaways
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- Cal State Fullerton now has the only masters-level program left in the state that trains midwives, in a time where advocates say more maternal care providers are needed.
- The state’s only other program, UC San Francisco, has paused admissions as it switches to a doctoral program. The school says it’s seeking accreditation to open admissions in 2025.
- Studies have shown that being cared for by a midwife has been associated with fewer complications, like C-sections and preterm births.
- Nurse midwives can free up OB-GYNs to care for higher-risk patients, which can play an important role in the Black maternal care crisis. Black birthing parents are three to four times more likely to die in California from pregnancy-related complications.
It’s a Thursday at Cal State Fullerton when a group of midwifery students each grab a model pelvis, to learn about how a baby’s head moves through the birth canal. Last week, students practiced catching babies with a mannequin in a birthing bed. Next week, they’ll learn how to suture, using foam and raw chicken for practice.
Midwife training options dwindle even as California searches for answers to maternity crisis
Student Janine Ruiz says it was this sort of hands-on experience that helped her choose this school’s program.
“We got to practice, like ‘how do we position our hands?’ I…
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