Midwifery, explained
Types of Midwives in Florida: LM, CPM & CNM Explained
If you've started looking for a midwife, the letters after someone's name can be confusing.
In Florida, you may see credentials such as LM, CPM and CNM. They do not all mean the same thing.
Here is a simple explanation of what they mean and how they relate to practicing midwifery in Florida.
Ashley Payne, APRN, CNM, C-EFM · Serving Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, Plant City and the surrounding Polk County area.
Licensed Midwife
Licensed Midwife (LM)
A Licensed Midwife, or LM, is licensed by the State of Florida to practice midwifery under Florida's Midwifery Practice Act.
LM education focuses on pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum care.
Licensed Midwives are not required to become registered nurses first. They commonly work in homes, birth centers and midwifery practices.
Certified Professional Midwife
Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)
CPM stands for Certified Professional Midwife. CPM is a national certification through the North American Registry of Midwives, or NARM.
Make this distinction easy to understand: LM is a Florida state license. CPM is a national certification. A midwife may hold both credentials. For example, you might see Jane Smith, LM, CPM.
Important: CPM certification by itself does not authorize someone to practice midwifery in Florida. Florida requires the appropriate state authorization or licensure to practice.
Certified Nurse-Midwife
Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)
A Certified Nurse-Midwife, or CNM, is educated in both nursing and midwifery. CNMs first become registered nurses and then complete graduate-level advanced-practice education in nurse-midwifery.
In Florida, CNMs practice through the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, or APRN, pathway and are regulated by the Florida Board of Nursing.
Depending on the provider and practice, CNM care may include:
- · Preconception care
- · Prenatal care
- · Labor and birth
- · Postpartum care
- · Gynecologic care
- · Well-woman care
- · Pap testing
- · Birth control
- · IUD and Nexplanon care
- · STI care
- · Menstrual concerns
- · Menopause care
- · Hormone therapy
- · Prescribing medications within applicable scope
CNMs may work in hospitals, clinics, private practices, birth centers and home-birth practices. A CNM is not automatically a hospital-only midwife. Certified Nurse-Midwives may provide home-birth care when that is part of their practice.
What about CM?
What about Certified Midwife (CM)?
You may also see the credential Certified Midwife (CM) when researching midwifery in other states. Florida does not currently provide a licensure pathway for the CM credential.
Side by side
A simple comparison
LM
Licensed Midwife
- What is it?
- Florida professional license
- Must be a nurse first?
- No
- Main area of care
- Pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum
- Florida practice pathway?
- Yes
- May provide home-birth care?
- Yes
CPM
Certified Professional Midwife
- What is it?
- National certification (NARM)
- Must be a nurse first?
- No
- Is CPM itself a Florida license?
- No
- Important
- Someone practicing in Florida must also have the appropriate Florida authorization or licensure. A person may hold both LM and CPM credentials.
CNM
Certified Nurse-Midwife
- What is it?
- Graduate-level nurse-midwifery credential
- Must be a nurse first?
- Yes
- Florida pathway
- Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)
- Care may include more than maternity care?
- Yes, depending on the provider and the practice
- May provide home-birth care?
- Yes, depending on the provider's practice
Choosing
Which type of midwife should I choose?
The letters after a midwife's name are helpful, but they are only part of choosing your provider.
Ask about their education, experience, license, services, birth setting, emergency plan, hospital transfer process, and approach to care. Choose a qualified provider whose services and approach fit your needs.
If you're looking for midwifery care along with broader women's health services, it may be helpful to understand the CNM role.
Here in Lakeland
Midwifery at Lakeland Birth & Gynecology
Lakeland Birth & Gynecology is a Certified Nurse-Midwife-led practice. Care is provided by Ashley Payne, APRN, CNM, C-EFM.
That means pregnancy, birth and postpartum care sit alongside the women's health services the practice offers: annual exams, cervical cancer screening, birth control, hormone and menopause care and more. Many patients here are not pregnant at all.
Learn more about care with a Certified Nurse-Midwife in Lakeland, or explore women's health services.
Common questions
Questions patients ask us
What is the difference between an LM and a CNM in Florida?
A Licensed Midwife (LM) is licensed by the State of Florida to practice midwifery. LMs are not required to become registered nurses first. Their education focuses on pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum care. A Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) first becomes a registered nurse, then completes graduate-level nurse-midwifery education and national certification. In Florida, CNMs practice through the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) pathway. Both are trained professionals, but their education paths and scopes are different.
Is a CPM the same as a Florida Licensed Midwife?
No. CPM is a national certification from the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM). LM is a Florida state license. One person may hold both credentials, and you may see that written as Jane Smith, LM, CPM. But a CPM credential by itself is not a Florida license to practice midwifery.
Can someone practice in Florida with only a CPM credential?
No. CPM is a national certification, not a Florida license. To practice midwifery in Florida, a person needs the appropriate state authorization or licensure. A midwife may hold both CPM and LM credentials, but the LM is what authorizes practice under Florida law.
Are all midwives nurses?
No. Certified Nurse-Midwives are registered nurses first. Licensed Midwives and Certified Professional Midwives are not required to become nurses first.
Can a CNM attend a home birth?
Yes, depending on the midwife and the practice. Being a CNM does not mean someone only works in a hospital. CNMs may provide home-birth care when that is part of their practice. Lakeland Birth & Gynecology is a CNM-led practice that offers planned home birth for appropriate candidates.
Can a CNM provide care when I'm not pregnant?
Yes, depending on the provider and the practice. Certified Nurse-Midwives often provide well-woman care, contraception, screening, hormone and menopause care in addition to pregnancy care.
How can I verify a Florida midwife's license?
Florida keeps public license information online through the Florida Department of Health license verification service. You can look up a midwife or nurse-midwife by name to see their license type and status. It is a reasonable thing to do, and no good provider will mind.
Sources
Where this information comes from
The descriptions above are based on publicly available information from the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Board of Nursing, Florida Statutes, the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM), and the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB). Licensing rules can change, so we encourage patients to verify current requirements directly with the relevant board or agency.
Keep reading
- Doula vs. midwife: what's the difference?
Two different roles on your birth team, explained in plain language.
- Midwife in Lakeland
What a Certified Nurse-Midwife does and what care looks like here.
- Home birth in Lakeland
What planned home birth care includes, and what it costs.
- About Ashley Payne, CNM
Her training, her approach and why she started this practice.
Still deciding? Let's talk.
Book online any time, or call the office if you are not sure which visit you need. We are happy to help you choose.