What to Expect

Midwives have been around for centuries, but it's only recently that they've been able to get formal training to perform this ancient craft. If you're interested in delivering babies, check out this field of study.

Julie Pohoresky studied at the Birthwise Midwifery School in Maine. She says it's important for students to be mobile, so they might need a vehicle. She says other related expenses are minimal compared to some other professions.

Male midwives do exist -- but not many. Thomas Morrison, a certified nurse-midwife in California, maintains a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page about men in midwifery.

On his FAQ page, Morrison explains, "Usually toward the end of midwifery school, you are sent out to different sites around the U.S. to do an eight- to 10-week 'integration' rotation."

He says discrimination exists, but isn't a huge problem for male midwives. "The only time that I experienced discrimination...was when a student came back from another integration site and told me that the place she was at was looking for midwives. She told them about me and they told her that they wouldn't hire a male midwife."

How to Prepare

Pohoresky advises high school students to grab every opportunity to study biology, psychology, sociology and communications or English.

"Your job will include a lot of counseling, so it is wise to learn how to communicate effectively," she says. "I would also recommend that you link up with a functioning midwife and volunteer in birthing clinics.

"That way, you will learn first-hand that this profession is more of a non-routine lifestyle that requires an unusual amount of time, dedication, maturity and responsibility."