Frequently Asked Questions
Can you see women who are not pregnant for physicals or Paps?
Yes. See our Women’s Health Services page for more information on this.
Do you take insurance?
Yes. We accept clients with or without insurance.
Methow Midwifery & Women’s
Health is an “in-network” participating provider with Molina, Premera, Lifewise, Asuris,
Regence and others. Molina clients do NOT need to assign Blue Bradley as their PCP in most cases in order to see her for any women's health services. If your PCP is listed as a doctor at Wenatchee Valley Clinic (Omak or Wenatchee), or at Main St Associates (Dr Niehaus' clinic), then you may need a referral. Call your insurance company or our office if you have further
questions. There is also a form on our Handouts page that helps you ask your insurance company questions about your coverage if you are pregnant.
Do you do hospital births?
Yes, Blue has full privileges to care for laboring women independently, and help them deliver their
baby, at Brewster Hospital only. No doctor is needed for your care with MMWH. She does not have privileges at Mid-Valley Hospital in Omak.
What is the difference between a nurse-midwife and Licensed Midwife (LM)?
Nurse-midwives are Registered Nurses (RNs) first, and then get their Master’s degree in Midwifery. They are legal in all 50 states, and have to take a national board exam before they can practice. Most Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) work in hospitals, though they can also care for women desiring home or birth center births. CNMs have a broader scope of practice than LMs: They can write prescriptions and care for more health issues, such as a sore throat or high blood pressure, than other types of midwives. In WA, CNMs can practice independently without a doctor’s supervision and are considered nurse-practitioners for women.Licensed Midwives (LM) are non-nurse midwives licensed in WA state that usually do a 3 year program to learn midwifery. In WA these are often graduates of Seattle Midwifery School, now a Midwifery Department at Bastyr University. Direct-entry midwives, or non-nurse midwives, are classifed as CPMs (Certified Professional Midwives), LMs, or RMs (Registered Midwives), depending on the state. Direct-entry midwives are not legal in every state, and do not have to take a national board exam (though many choose to take the CPM exam but it is not recognized by many states). They specialize in home births, and often have a less medical approach to birth (this varies by midwife). They can write prescriptions for only a few issues (like urinary tract infections) and rarely attend hospital births.
For more information on CPMs visit NARM's website.
Do you need a doctor backing you up?
No. In WA, CNMs practice independently without a doctor’s supervision as a requirement. However, most have at least one physician that they consult with if they have questions, backs them up in the hospital for complications, and agrees to sign their malpractice insurance as a “consulting physician.” Methow Midwifery & Women’s Health has relationships with multiple doctors in Brewster, Wenatchee and Spokane, and consults with them as needed. This is similar to all Family Practice doctors, who also consult, collaborate and refer to specialists when appropriate.Are you a lactation consultant?
Blue has taken the four day training to be a lactation consultant, and has more experience in breastfeeding issues than most doctors in this region. She has done extensive clinical hours helping many mothers with breastfeeding issues, but has not taken the expensive international exam to be an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). In the meantime, she will continue to meet with any woman having breastfeeding issues and help them solve their problem by using her experience, books, or asking other IBCLCs out of the area about the mother ’s issue.
Methow Midwifery & Women's Health
214 N. Glover Street, PO Box 503
North Glover Healing Center,
Twisp, WA 98856
Ph 509-341-4256 ~ Fax 888-361-9674