Nearly every country in the world with maternal and infant mortality rates lower than the U.S. has midwives attending the majority of births. The Midwives Model of Care is a health-promoting, evidence-based wellness model that improves birth outcomes and is mother-friendly and baby-friendly.

In Missouri, midwives attend births in homes, birth centers and hospitals. Both Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) and Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) work in the state, giving homebirth families a wide range of choices for their pregnancy and birth options.

Missouri Midwives Association (MMA) is a professional organization dedicated to promotion, protection, support and education for midwives in Missouri. Membership is open to all midwives, aspiring midwives, friends and supporters. Our members include midwives of all types, student and aspiring midwives, childbirth educators, andprofessional and non-professional supporters who subscribe to the purpose and goals of the organization. Voting members of MMA are senior midwives, midwives, student and aspiring midwives who are current with their dues. A student midwife is a person who is currently enrolled in a midwifery school or program, or who is currently serving in an apprenticeship or internship. Non-voting members of MMA are encouraged to voice their opinions at meetings and through the written word.

Meetings are held every-other month, with an educational retreat each summer. The meeting location moves around the state so, hopefully, all midwives will have a chance to attend a meeting without traveling too far from clients who may be due. Membership dues can be paid in person at a meeting, online or through the mail. Please use the donation page to pay online. Contact the membership chair at Membership@MissouriMidwivesAssociation.org for information about current fee for dues.

The process of Formal Consensus is an enjoyable discussion process used by MMA for it's business meetings. It is used instead of Robert's Rules of Order in which a majority vote is used to make decisions and minority concerns are ignored. Formal Consensus allows each person to express her opinion and shape the end decision. Obviously, it goes smoother when all participants have an idea of how the process works. Please familiarize yourself with the process before you come to the meeting here: Formal Consensus.