Spotlight on: Molly Sherwood, CNM, WHNP-BC

Molly Sherwood, CNM, WHNP-BC, a native of Naples, New York, became focused on becoming a midwife before she even knew much about the profession. “When I was about 12 years old I found out my best friend was delivered at home by a midwife,” she said. “I was fascinated and wanted to learn more about them. Then I couldn’t get the idea of becoming a midwife out of my head. I pursued my undergraduate degree in sociology but every paper I wrote and every project I did was about birth outcomes and the role of midwives in health care.”

Sherwood pursued her dream. After receiving her bachelor’s degree at Goucher College she went on to complete a 10-month program in nursing and a two-year program in midwifery at Yale University. As part of her education she did a rotation with University of Rochester midwives and knew she wanted to join the practice. “I love the role that University midwives have in our community,” she said. “We are integral parts of women’s lives. We are the people they talk to, the ones they turn to for health care. Every aspect of women’s health is important to us.”

She is inspired that some midwives have been with the practice for close to 25 years. “Midwives like Helene Thompson-Scott and Pam Jurich-Wright are delivering the babies of women who they delivered years ago,” said Sherwood. “Everyone is so supportive of each other. I learned how to be a midwife from this group of women everyone trusts so profoundly.”

Sherwood stresses the importance of the World Health Organization designation of 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. “In other countries midwives are the primary healthcare provider for all women,” she said. “In our country so many people don’t understand everything we can do. Although we all love to deliver babies, we have a range of credentials and can care for a broad spectrum of women’s health needs.”