Home Birth Midwives in South Dakota 5 source-checked listings, Costs, Licensing, and Insurance
South Dakota licenses Certified Professional Midwives through the South Dakota Board of Certified Professional Midwives under SDCL chapter 36-9C. Home birth packages typically run $3,500 to $5,500. South Dakota Medicaid pays CNMs but has no billing pathway for CPMs, so most CPM home births are self-pay; confirm any coverage with SD Medicaid before committing. Established home birth communities exist in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and the Black Hills.
South Dakota licenses Certified Professional Midwives through a dedicated Board of Certified Professional Midwives, with home birth communities concentrated in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and the Black Hills. South Dakota's home birth scene is small but established, and 2017 legislation created a clear licensure path for CPMs. Distance to a hospital with full obstetric services is a major factor in much of rural South Dakota. This guide explains what state law requires, what home birth costs across South Dakota, and how to evaluate the midwife you are considering.
On this page
Sources cited (3)
- South Dakota Board of Certified Professional Midwives
- South Dakota Medicaid Obstetrical Services Manual
- NASHP Midwife Medicaid Reimbursement Policies by State
Browse by city
All 5 listings are grouped by city above.
South Dakota's CPM credential
South Dakota licenses Certified Professional Midwives through the South Dakota Board of Certified Professional Midwives, a Department of Health board created by 2017 legislation and governed by SDCL chapter 36-9C. CPMs in South Dakota hold the NARM CPM credential plus South Dakota-specific licensure, and the license authorizes out-of-hospital practice. South Dakota CNMs are licensed separately, by the South Dakota Board of Nursing as advanced practice registered nurses under SDCL chapter 36-9A.
Verify a CPM through the Board of Certified Professional Midwives at doh.sd.gov, which publishes the current licensee list; verify a CNM through the Board of Nursing. Confirm the license is active, in good standing, and free of disciplinary actions. State law gives licensed CPMs a defined formulary that includes postpartum anti-hemorrhagic drugs, IV fluids, vitamin K, eye prophylaxis, and Rho(D) immune globulin (SDCL 36-9C-4), and board rules at ARSD 20:86 set consultation and maternal and newborn transport standards.
What home birth costs across South Dakota
South Dakota midwife packages typically run $3,500 to $5,500.
Sioux Falls metro: $4,000 to $5,500. Largest home birth market in the state.
Rapid City and the Black Hills: $4,000 to $5,500. Active community, strong natural living culture in the Black Hills.
Brookings and Aberdeen: $3,500 to $4,500. Smaller markets.
Rural and reservation areas: midwife scarcity is severe. Some Indigenous communities have traditional birth keepers operating outside the licensed framework. Distances to hospitals with full obstetric services often exceed 60 to 90 minutes.
Labs, ultrasounds, and birth supplies are typically billed separately, adding $200 to $400.
| Label | Detail | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | $4,750 | |
| Rapid City / Black Hills | $4,750 | |
| Eastern SD | $4,000 |
South Dakota Medicaid and home birth
South Dakota Medicaid covers Certified Nurse-Midwife services as a federal mandatory benefit, and its obstetrical billing manual lists CNMs among billable practitioners. The manual publishes no policy specific to planned home birth as a setting, so confirm how a home delivery would be paid with SD Medicaid before you commit. CPMs are a different story: South Dakota has licensed them since 2017, but Medicaid billing never followed. CPMs are not listed in the state's obstetrical manual, and South Dakota is not among the states whose Medicaid programs pay midwives without a nursing degree. Plan on paying out of pocket for a CPM-attended home birth.
If you have South Dakota Medicaid, ask any midwife you interview: are you a Medicaid-enrolled CNM, and how have you billed SD Medicaid for a home delivery before? For full details, see our South Dakota Medicaid home birth guide.
For commercial insurance, most South Dakota home birth midwives are out-of-network. Standard process: pay the midwife, get a superbill at birth, submit for reimbursement. PPO plans typically reimburse 50 to 80 percent of allowed amount after deductible. See our OON reimbursement guide.
Midwife availability and transfer hospitals
Sioux Falls: Sanford USD Medical Center is the regional academic referral center. Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center is also a major option. Plan to start your search by week 8.
Rapid City: Monument Health Rapid City Hospital.
Brookings: Brookings Health System.
Aberdeen: Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center, Avera St. Luke's Hospital.
Yankton: Avera Sacred Heart Hospital.
Pierre: Avera St. Mary's Hospital.
Rural South Dakota: distances to a hospital with full obstetric services often exceed 60 to 90 minutes. Drive your route once before your due date. Many small South Dakota towns have lost their obstetric services in recent years; confirm your nearest delivering hospital is current.
Red flags and what to ask
Reconsider any South Dakota midwife who cannot produce a current CPM license from the Board of Certified Professional Midwives (or a Board of Nursing CNM license), cannot tell you her transfer rate, claims she has never needed to transfer without explanation, doesn't perform a clinical health history before accepting you, or is vague about emergency protocols.
Ask before hiring: How many births have you attended total, and how many in the last 12 months? What is your transfer rate for first-time mothers (honest numbers run 22 to 45 percent per documented research)? What emergency medications do you carry, and when did you last use each? Walk me through your postpartum hemorrhage protocol. Which hospital do you use for transfers, and have you transferred a client there in the last 12 months? What is your winter weather plan? Can I speak with three recent clients?
Call the references.
Where to go from here
South Dakota has a real but small home birth landscape with anchors in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. The constraint outside metros is supply, distance, and weather.
Start your search by week 8 in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. Verify any CPM through the Board of Certified Professional Midwives at doh.sd.gov.
Use the matching form below: tell us your due date, ZIP code, insurance type, and birth history.
Neighboring states
Many home birth families consider midwives across state lines, especially near borders. See guides for nearby states:
Frequently asked questions
How does South Dakota license home birth midwives?
South Dakota licenses Certified Professional Midwives through the South Dakota Board of Certified Professional Midwives, a Department of Health board created by 2017 legislation and governed by SDCL chapter 36-9C. The license requires the NARM CPM credential and authorizes practice in out-of-hospital settings. State law gives licensed CPMs a defined formulary that includes postpartum anti-hemorrhagic drugs, IV fluids, vitamin K, eye prophylaxis, and Rho(D) immune globulin. CNMs are licensed separately by the South Dakota Board of Nursing under SDCL chapter 36-9A.
Does South Dakota Medicaid cover home birth?
Yes for CNM services, with a caveat on the setting. South Dakota Medicaid covers Certified Nurse-Midwife services as a federal mandatory benefit, and its obstetrical manual lists CNMs as billable practitioners. The manual publishes no policy specific to planned home birth, so confirm setting billing with South Dakota Medicaid before you commit. CPMs have been licensed in South Dakota since 2017, but the state is not among the roughly 18 states plus DC whose Medicaid programs pay midwives without a nursing degree. Freestanding birth center services are covered under a dedicated manual. See our South Dakota Medicaid home birth guide for the details and sources.
How many home birth midwives are listed in South Dakota?
As of November 9, 2026, this directory lists 5 midwives in 5 South Dakota cities. Browse by city on this page, or request a free match.
Bottom line: South Dakota licenses Certified Professional Midwives through the Board of Certified Professional Midwives under SDCL chapter 36-9C. SD Medicaid pays CNMs but has no billing pathway for CPMs, so most CPM home births are self-pay; confirm any coverage with SD Medicaid. Verify any CPM through the board at doh.sd.gov. Start your search by week 8 in Sioux Falls and Rapid City.
Looking for a midwife? Find a home birth midwife near you by city or state, or request a free match.
- South Dakota Board of Certified Professional Midwives. South Dakota licenses Certified Professional Midwives through the Board of Certified Professional Midwives, a Department of Health board created by 2017 legislation and governed by SDCL chapter 36-9C; board rules appear at ARSD 20:86.. View source
- South Dakota Medicaid Obstetrical Services Manual. South Dakota Medicaid's obstetrical manual lists certified nurse midwives as billable practitioners; certified professional midwives are not included.. View source
- NASHP Midwife Medicaid Reimbursement Policies by State. South Dakota is not among the states whose Medicaid programs reimburse midwives without a nursing degree.. View source
▶ How we research this content Editorial standards
Researched from primary sources: state statutes and board rules, Medicaid provider manuals and state Medicaid rules, and peer-reviewed research. Each claim links to its source in the References list.
Written by the Home Birth Partners editorial team, not by clinicians, and not clinically reviewed unless a named reviewer appears in the byline. Fee ranges labeled as estimates on this page are our editorial estimates, not survey data.
The "Last updated" date in the byline is the last time this guide's content changed.
Midwives and midwifery associations can suggest a correction. Anyone who spots an error or has a primary source we should add can email [email protected].