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Welcome to the website of Empowered Birth Services and Candace Robinson, CPM.

I am a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), Qualified Evaluator (QE NARM), Certified Birth Doula (CD DONA), and La Leche League Leader (LLLI). I specialize in family-centered homebirth and waterbirth. I travel throughout central Kentucky serving women in their communities while providing conscious, attentive care. I will come to your home or you can visit me at one of the offices I utilize in either Lexington or Ft. Wright, Kentucky.

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What is a CPM?

A Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) is an independent practitioner who has met the standards for certification set by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and is qualified to provide the Midwives Model of Care*. The NARM certification process recognizes multiple routes of entry into midwifery and includes verification of knowledge and skills and the successful completion of both a Written Examination and Skills Assessment. CPMs are experts in normal birth, and the only maternity caregiver whose certification requires knowledge of and clinical experience in the skills necessary for safe out-of-hospital birth.

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I am an experienced midwife and I offer personal, holistic care for families choosing homebirth. I provide comprehensive prenatal care and assist clients in preparing for birth outside of a hospital environment. I seek to help women make repairs to previous trauma and bond with their babies, even before birth. Because my mothers are healthy, I am often able to facilitate a ‘hands-off’ birth where the mother and father alone can receive their baby gently as I observe. It is a special and extremely empowering experience. Many of my clients choose to plan waterbirths, and so far, I have attended over 100 births where the baby was welcomed in water.

No matter what type of birth a mother chooses, I am privileged to witness the strength and beauty of women birthing their babies. I am present to assure a safe and satisfying birth experience and will support and assist my clients as necessary to achieve that goal. The first two hours after birth is a precious time for mother and baby which is deeply respected in my practice. I know that my mothers love their babies, but I also work to hold a space where a mother and baby can truly bond. I feel that this is imperative.

I am specifically trained in normal birth. And that clinical experience, coupled with my seasoned intuition, enables me to recognize what is not normal. I will consult and/or refer to a hospital care provider when a situation arises which is outside of my scope of practice. If I can help you further or you have any specific questions, please contact me. I will provide ample references upon request. I know what a powerful experience that birthing at home can be. I’ve done it!

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*The Midwives Model of Care

The Midwives Model of Care is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes.

The Midwives Model of Care includes:

~ Monitoring the physical, psychological, and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle

~ Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support

~ Minimizing technological interventions

~ Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention

The application of this woman-centered model of care has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section.

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"The Midwives Model of Care provides multiple evidence-based benefits for mothers, babies and families. Education and training leading to the CPM credential specifically prepares midwives to provide the Midwives Model of Care." - Susan Hodges, Citizens for Midwifery

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Planned homebirths in the United States are safe, say researchers in British Medical Journal article.

‘Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional midwives: large prospective study in North America’ (BMJ 2005, Volume 330)

In the largest study of its kind internationally to date, researchers analyzed over 5000 home births involving certified professional midwives across the United States and Canada in 2000. Outcomes and medical interventions were compared with those of low risk hospital births.

“Planned home birth for low risk women in North America using certified professional midwives was associated with lower rates of medical intervention but similar intrapartum and neonatal mortality to that of low risk hospital births in the United States.

A high degree of safety and maternal satisfaction were reported, and over 87% of mothers and neonates did not require transfer to hospital.

Our study of certified professional midwives suggests that they achieve good outcomes among low risk women without routine use of expensive hospital interventions,” say the authors. “This evidence supports the American Public Health Association’s recommendation to increase access to out of hospital maternity care services with direct-entry midwives in the United States.”

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