Claudine Crews LM, CPM Licensed and Certified Professional Midwife Home Birth Specialist MY MIDWIFERY TRAINING I have actually trained to become a midwife twice! My education in midwifery began in 1982 with the Association of Texas Midwives home study training program. After my son was born in 1982 I began an apprenticeship with a San Antonio midwife. She quit midwifery in mid-1983, but by that time I had begun a formal midwifery training program with Christian Home Birth Ministries. I completed my training late in 1983. During that time I also attended numerous workshops and classes on both basic and advanced or emergency midwifery skills, and I participated in a study group of midwives for one year. I also worked as a volunteer in labor and delivery, mostly labor coaching, at Medical Center Hospital in San Antonio, TX from 1983 - 1987. While not overly relevant to a home birth based midwifery practice, it was educational on other levels. It gave me a clearer picture of the potential risks and consequences of various interventions common in hospital births and reinforced my belief and faith in rightness of natural birth. In 1986 the Texas Health Department began offering a basic midwifery education course. Midwives who had been practicing for 2 or more years were allowed to challenge the exam, which I took and passed. I also passed The San Antonio Midwives Association exam. I practiced in partnership with another San Antonio midwife as Pregnancy and Birth Midwifery Services until the end of 1989. In 1989 I made the difficult decision to quit midwifery for family reasons. By 1990 I was no longer attending births, but never was able to forget about it! Midwifery is not job, it is a calling! In 2002 my children were grown and I had a grandchild on the way - and my son and daughter-in-law wanted a home birth with me as their midwife! I contacted Janet Dirmeyer, who I had worked with in past years, and asked her if I could go to some births with her as a refresher. She agreed, and I immediately knew it was time to get back to where I belonged! During those 12 years laws in Texas had been revised, and a state license is required. Texas recognizes the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) qualification for licensing so, since I already had 8 years experience in midwifery, I chose the NARM CPM route for state licensing. I completed a two year apprenticeship with Janet Dirmeyer (Special Delivery Midwifery, San Antonio, TX.) in September of 2004. During this time I completed all NARM requirements and continued to work as a birth assistant for area midwives. I took my NARM skills exam in December 2005, passed the written exam in February 2006 and earned my CPM. I received my Texas state license in April 2006. I have a total of 12 years experience in midwifery and home birth. Over these years I have attended several hundred births. Almost 300 of these were planned home or birth center births. Midwifery education never stops! There is always something new to learn or experience. Continuing education is an ongoing process throughout the year that I enjoy. In addition to the following workshops I've taken I maintain current certification in CPR and Neonatal Resuscitation, and participate in Peer Review. I am also actively involved in the training and education of new midwives. I am the Education Director and Course Coordinator for the Association of Texas Midwives Midwifery Training Program, and am also an instructor and preceptor for the program. I serve on both the Association of Texas Midwives and the San Antonio Area Midwives education committees. I have taught numerous workshops to both student and experienced midwives. Workshops, classes, and other continuing education: Basic Midwifery Skills (vital signs, abdominal palpation, pelvimetry) Nutrition during pregnancy and lactation Fetal heart rate interpretation Newborn screening certification Lab work for midwives prenatal lab tests and interpreting results Venipuncture Suturing & giving injections Management of complications of labor Management of postpartum hemorrhage and estimating blood loss Emergency Skills (breeches, twins, and shoulder dystocia) Professional Behavior and Communication Advanced midwifery skills (breeches, twins, shoulder dystocia, perineal evaluation and repair, newborn assessment), Bringing Healthy Notions of Childbirth into Mainstream USA Postpartum Follow Up - the 4th Trimester Newborn Examination and Gestational Age Assessment Psychological Changes During Pregnancy and Preventive Psychological Interventions Gestational age assessment of the newborn Emergency transport of the newborn Herbology for midwives Homeopathy for women Vaginitis - diagnosis and treatment Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Prenatal Risk Screening Maternal Physical Assessment Examination of the placenta Waterbirth Drugs: Why, When, Where, and Why Not! Neonatal Complications Charting Fetal Mal-Presentations Apprenticeships Cardinal Spiraling Movements of Birth Physiological Cord Closure Prevention, Management, Support & Maternal Positioning for Difficult labors Backing Out - A breech workshop How to hold a Peer Review Keeping the Faith (in natural birth) Rapid HIV Testing for labor Hypothyroidism in Pregnancy Pre-eclampsia Community Guideline (based on NICE recommendations) Diagnosing bacterial vaginosis Postnatal feeding and infant's failure to thrive Breastfeeding and reducing infections during the first year of life Serotonin defects & SIDS Prenatal Vitamins For Mal-nourished Moms [prevent low-birth weight] Correct Use of Fertility Tracking [Sympto-Thermal] Method Matches The Pill Medications For Midwives Intrapartum Sterile Speculum Examination I am affiliated with the following organizations: The Association of Texas Midwives (Course Coordinator and Education Committee, Preceptor) The San Antonio Area Midwives Association (President and Education Committee) Midwives Alliance of North America International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) Citizens For Midwifery International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) President of the San Antonio Midwives Association from 1985 - 1989
back-to-top For a free consultation contact me at: Midwifery Services of South Texas 830-393-0337 or 210-710-3169 midwifeservices@gmail.com | 
