Utah has three legal kinds of midwife and one kind of birth helper who is not a midwife at all. They are easy to confuse in conversation and very different under the law, and the difference decides where you can give birth, what pain relief is possible, and who pays.
This page goes straight to the statutes. It does not recommend any individual midwife or doula.
This is general information, not medical or legal advice. Decisions about your care belong with you and a qualified provider who knows your history.
The four people, side by side
| Who | Licensed under | Where they attend births | Can prescribe? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified nurse midwife (CNM) | Nurse Midwife Practice Act, Utah Code 58-44a | Hospitals, and other settings by arrangement | Yes |
| Licensed direct-entry midwife (LDEM) | Direct-Entry Midwife Act, Utah Code 58-77 | Out of hospital only | No; a short list of medications |
| Unlicensed direct-entry midwife | Not licensed; still regulated by 58-77-501 | Out of hospital | No prescription drugs except oxygen |
| Doula | No state license | Anywhere you are | No; not a medical role |
Certified nurse midwives
A CNM is a nurse first. Under Utah Code 58-44a-302, an applicant must hold a Utah registered nurse license (or qualify for one), complete a nurse-midwifery program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education, pass the national exam within two years of finishing, and pass a criminal background check. Since January 1, 2010, the education has had to be a graduate degree.
The scope in 58-44a-102 is broad. A CNM can take a full history and exam, order labs, diagnose, prescribe (including some controlled substances under a consultation plan with a physician), manage labor under a written intrapartum referral plan, do episiotomies and repairs, give local, pudendal or paracervical blocks, manage the postpartum period, provide gynecological care and care for healthy newborns to age one. She must have a working arrangement for consultation and referral with one or more physicians. The statute excludes general anesthesia and "major conduction anesthesia" from her scope, so if you want an epidural, ask any midwife-led practice how that is handled at its hospital.
In Utah County, CNMs are mostly a hospital option. Timpanogos Regional Hospital lists certified nurse midwives alongside OBs in its women's center. Intermountain Health's provider listings for October 2026 included CNMs at Valley Women's Health in Provo, Orem OB-GYN and Nurse Midwives, and Valley OB/GYN's certified nurse midwives in American Fork. Our guide to finding an OB-GYN or midwife covers how to choose a practice.
Licensed direct-entry midwives
A licensed direct-entry midwife comes from a different training path. Utah Code 58-77-302 requires the Certified Professional Midwife credential from the North American Registry of Midwives (or an equivalent the state approves), current adult and infant CPR and newborn resuscitation certification, and an approved pharmacology course. Licenses renew every two years.
What she can do. The definition in 58-77-102 covers prenatal, birth, postpartum and newborn care "in any out-of-hospital setting," including ordering labs and ultrasounds, suturing first and second degree tears, newborn exams and resuscitation, breastfeeding support, and a defined list of medications: prescription vitamins, Rho(D) immune globulin, oxygen, vitamin K and eye prophylaxis for the newborn, local anesthetic, and a dose of oxytocin after birth to limit bleeding (with a second dose for hemorrhage, at which point the statute says she must start a transfer if the mother does not improve).
Which births. Section 58-77-601 limits a licensed direct-entry midwife to a "normal" labor: one that is not induced with medication, is low risk at the start and stays low risk, and ends with a head-down baby born on its own between 37 and 43 completed weeks. If a condition requiring consultation or transfer appears and the client declines, the midwife must either end care or continue only with a signed waiver. If a mandatory-transfer condition appears, she must end care or start a transfer by calling 911, driving the client to the receiving provider, or calling the receiving physician and following orders.
What she may never do. Section 58-77-603 bars any direct-entry midwife from surgical delivery (other than an emergency episiotomy), epidural, spinal, caudal or narcotic pain relief, forceps or vacuum, and manual removal of the placenta except in a life-threatening emergency.
Before any care, 58-77-601 requires a written informed consent that includes her license number, whether she is a CNM or physician (if not, it must say so), her training and experience, her peer review process, a medical backup or transfer plan, whether she carries professional liability insurance, and how to file a grievance. Read that document. It answers most of the questions people forget to ask.
Unlicensed midwives are legal in Utah
This surprises newcomers. Utah Code 58-77-501(2) says it is lawful to practice direct-entry midwifery without a license, and 58-77-304 says nothing in the chapter limits "the right of parents to deliver their baby where, when, how, and with whom they choose."
An unlicensed midwife must still follow three rules. She may not claim to be licensed. She may not give any prescription medication except oxygen. And before providing care she must give you a signed informed consent statement describing her training and experience, stating that she is not licensed by the state, stating that she may not legally give you prescription medication, and including a written plan for transfer to a licensed provider or facility if problems arise. She must keep that signed statement for at least four years. Breaking these rules is a class A misdemeanor under 58-77-503.
The practical upshot: an unlicensed midwife cannot give the post-birth oxytocin a licensed one can, and her transfer plan is whatever she wrote down. Ask to see it early.
How to check a license
The Utah Division of Professional Licensing runs the Licensee Lookup and Verification System. Search the name, confirm the license type (certified nurse midwife or licensed direct-entry midwife) and that it is active. DOPL also publishes a disciplinary actions and citations search. It takes a minute and it is worth doing for anyone attending your birth.
Doulas
A doula is a support person, not a clinician. Utah Medicaid's own definition is a good one: non-medical support during pregnancy, birth and postpartum, including education, emotional support, physical comfort in labor such as massage and positioning, continuous presence through labor, and help communicating with your medical team. Doulas do not deliver babies or make clinical decisions, and they work alongside any of the midwives above or an OB, at home or in a hospital.
Utah has no doula license. Doulas train with private organizations; PSI Utah lists the Utah Doula Association, DONA International, CAPPA and ICEA among them. The Utah Maternal Mental Health Referral Network (maternalmentalhealth.utah.gov) lists doulas with training in perinatal mental health, which is useful if anxiety or a past difficult birth is part of why you want one.
Some doulas specialize in postpartum care at home in the weeks after birth. Ask which kind you are hiring.
Who pays
Utah Medicaid lists doula services as a covered benefit of its Pregnant Woman program, along with global maternity care, breast pumps, group prenatal and postpartum education, perinatal care coordination and prenatal and postpartum home visits. The doula must be enrolled as a Medicaid provider through the state's doula attestation form. If you have Medicaid, ask any doula you interview whether she is enrolled. Our WIC and Medicaid guide covers who qualifies.
Private insurance varies. The Direct-Entry Midwife Act states in 58-77-601(6) that it does not mandate insurance coverage for midwifery services, so whether a home-birth midwife is covered depends entirely on your plan. CNMs practicing in hospitals are usually billed like other obstetric providers, but network status still matters. Questions to ask your insurer:
- Is this specific midwife or practice in network, not just "do you cover midwives"?
- What does the plan pay for an out-of-hospital birth, and for a hospital transfer during labor?
- Are doula services covered at all, and under what billing code or provider type?
For how Utah plans and networks work in general, see health insurance in Utah, explained.
Self-pay is common for doulas and out-of-hospital midwives. We have not listed prices, because they vary by provider and we could not verify a representative figure. Ask each provider for a written fee schedule that states what is included (prenatal visits, the birth, postpartum visits) and what happens to the fee if you transfer.
Interview questions that come straight from the law
- For a licensed direct-entry midwife: May I see your informed consent document, your practice guidelines and the state's list of conditions requiring transfer? (She must provide them on request under 58-77-601.) Which hospital do you transfer to, and how long is the drive from my house?
- For an unlicensed midwife: May I see your written transfer plan now? What is your training?
- For a CNM: Which hospital do you deliver at, who is your consulting physician, and will you or a colleague be at my birth?
- For a doula: Are you trained in hospital births at the hospital I chose? Are you enrolled with Medicaid (if relevant)? Who is your backup if you are at another birth?
Where you give birth is its own decision; our birth centers vs hospitals guide covers the Utah County options and their NICU levels. For the full arc of pregnancy here, see having a baby in Utah Valley.
Related Guides
- Finding an OB-GYN or Midwife in Utah Valley
- Birth Centers vs Hospitals in Utah Valley
- Having a Baby in Utah Valley
- Postpartum Mental Health in Utah Valley
- Intermountain, MountainStar and the Rest: Which Network Runs Which Hospital
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a CNM and a licensed direct-entry midwife in Utah?
Is it legal to use an unlicensed midwife in Utah?
What can a licensed direct-entry midwife not do in Utah?
Does a doula need a license in Utah?
Does Utah Medicaid cover doulas?
Does insurance cover a home birth midwife in Utah?
How do I check a midwife's license in Utah?
Can I have a midwife and still deliver in a hospital in Utah County?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Licensee Lookup and Verification System, Utah Division of Professional Licensing. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Direct-Entry Midwifery, Utah Division of Professional Licensing. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Women's Services and Family Planning, Utah Medicaid. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Utah Maternal Mental Health Referral Network, Utah DHHS. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Utah Code Title 58 Chapter 44a, Nurse Midwife Practice Act, Utah State Legislature. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Utah Code Title 58 Chapter 77, Direct-Entry Midwife Act, Utah State Legislature. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Doula Resources, Postpartum Support International Utah. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Labor and Delivery at Timpanogos Regional Hospital, MountainStar Healthcare. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Utah Valley Hospital Labor and Delivery, Intermountain Health. Checked October 20, 2026.
- American Fork Hospital Labor and Delivery, Intermountain Health. Checked October 20, 2026.
