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✨ What Is a Certified Indigenous Midwife (CIM)?
Honoring Traditional Midwifery, Cultural Sovereignty, and Sacred Birthwork
When you choose Le Creole Midwife for your care, you’re not just hiring a midwife—you’re stepping into a legacy of ancestral knowledge, cultural integrity, and protected rights. I am proud to serve you as a Certified Indigenous Midwife (CIM) — a title that carries not just medical skill, but deep cultural responsibility and sovereign authority.
🌿 What Is a CIM?
A Certified Indigenous Midwife (CIM) is a midwife who is trained and certified by her tribal nation. Like a CPM (Certified Professional Midwife), I have completed rigorous clinical training in prenatal, birth, and postpartum care. But unlike a CPM, my authority doesn’t come from a state board or a private certifying agency. It comes from my tribal government and community, operating under federal protections such as:
• The Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA)
• Public Law 93-638 (Indian Self-Determination Act)
• The American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA)
These laws protect my right to practice traditional, community-based midwifery outside the state licensure model.
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👩🏽⚕️ CIM vs CPM: What’s the Difference?
Credential CIM CPM
Certified by Tribal Nation NARM (National Association of Registered Midwives)
Legal Framework Federal & Tribal Law State Licensure (Varies)
Training NARM-equivalent + Traditional Indigenous Knowledge NARM Portfolio or MEAC route
Cultural Competence Central to training Not guaranteed
Oversight Community, Elders, Tribal Council Private or State Board
I meet all the clinical requirements that CPMs meet, but my certification is deeply rooted in the traditions of my people and protected by the sovereign rights of my tribe.
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📚 How I Became a Certified Indigenous Midwife
Becoming a CIM is not a shortcut — it is a sacred and rigorous journey. My path included:
• 1,200+ clinical hours in prenatal, birth, and postpartum care
• Primary responsibility for dozens of births under supervision
• Successful completion of oral and written exams
• Certification in Neonatal Resuscitation, emergency protocols, and evidence-based midwifery
• Training in Indigenous medicine, cultural practices, and spiritual care
• Ongoing education and accountability to my tribal governing body and community elders
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🪶 Why Traditional Midwifery Matters
For generations, Indigenous midwives carried the knowledge of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum healing. This work was violently interrupted by colonial laws, medical racism, and forced assimilation. Today, midwifery rooted in culture is an act of resistance and reclamation.
Traditional midwifery:
• Respects the full spiritual, emotional, and physical journey of parenthood
• Creates culturally safe spaces for Black, Indigenous, and people of color
• Offers personalized, gentle, and community-rooted care
• Honors bodily autonomy and ancestral wisdom
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💼 Your Rights Under My Care
As a client of Le Creole Midwife, you receive full-spectrum maternity care:
• Prenatal appointments
• Birth support (home birth or birth center)
• Postpartum visits
• Breastfeeding and newborn care
• Emotional and cultural support throughout the journey
You also receive something you may not get from mainstream providers: dignity, cultural respect, and care that aligns with your values.
Your care is protected by federal law, even if the state refuses to recognize traditional midwives.
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❤️ My Pledge to You
As your midwife, I promise to:
• Uphold the sacredness of your birth experience
• Stand in the legacy of Indigenous birth workers who came before me
• Blend the best of evidence-based medicine and ancestral wisdom
• Advocate for your right to birth on your terms, in your power
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Birth is sacred. Birth is political. Birth is yours.
Thank you for trusting me with your care. Together, we reclaim our right to give life in dignity, safety, and sovereignty.
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Le Creole Midwife | Certified Indigenous Midwife (CIM)
Rooted in Culture. Powered by Ancestry. Protected by Law.