For the purposes of this chapter, the practice of a certified professional midwife is the management and care of the low-risk mother-baby unit in an out-of-hospital setting during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum periods. A certified professional midwife may perform the following scope of practice in an out-of-hospital setting including a licensed birth center:

(1) Initial and ongoing assessment for suitability of midwifery care including assessment of risk;

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(2) Prenatal care, including the routine monitoring of vital signs, indicators of fetal development, and ordering of routine prenatal laboratory tests;

(3) Recognizing the limits of knowledge and experience, planning for situations beyond expertise, and consulting with, or referring or transporting clients to other licensed health care providers as appropriate;

(4) Attending and supporting the natural process of labor and birth;

(5) Postpartum care of the mother and an initial assessment and screening of the newborn;

(6) Providing prenatal education, information, and referrals to community resources on childbirth preparation, breastfeeding, exercise, nutrition, parenting, and care of the newborn;

(7) Limited prescriptive authority to administer:

(a) Vitamin K to the baby either orally or through intramuscular injection;

(b) Postpartum antihemorrhagic medication in an emergency situation;

(c) Local anesthetic for repair of a first or second degree perineal laceration;

(d) IV antibiotics for treatment of Group B strep during labor;

(e) Oxygen;

(f) Eye prophylaxis;

(g) RhoGam; and

(8) Preparing and filing of a birth certificate pursuant to § 34-25-9.1.

Source: SL 2017, ch 172, § 13.