Midwifery is a field of health care in which a provider offers care to women during their pregnancy, labor, and birth. A midwife also helps to care for the newborn baby for up to six weeks and assists the mother with things such as breastfeeding. The majority of midwifes are female although the term can refer to males or females. Beyond caring for a woman through childbirth, midwifes will also give care related to reproductive health, gynecological exams, family planning, and menopause care. Midwives strive to help women have a natural childbirth experience and normally work with women who are in low risk pregnancies.
Midwifery has a long history with midwives having been part of the birthing experience for thousands of years. In ancient times, midwives were sometimes revered yet also sometimes feared. Midwives had knowledge and skills in the area of childbirth which was foreign to most people. During this time, women had no formal education, so it was widely thought that their knowledge must have come from supernatural sources. Midwifery was practiced in the United States as early as the 1700′s and was practiced without a specific education or regulations until the beginning of the 20th century. Throughout history childbirth became medicalized in the United States and women began to move away from midwifes and began to see physicians. Recently this trend has been reversed and more women are seeking the help of a midwife.
In the United States, there are two different kinds of midwives, nurse midwives and direct entry midwifes. Direct entry midwives differ from nurse midwives in the regard that they do not have a prior education as a nurse. Under the umbrella of direct entry midwives are certified professional midwifes, licensed midwifes, and lay midwifes. In the United Kingdom, midwives are considered practitioners in their own right and are the lead professionals attending the majority of births. All United Kingdom midwives are registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Almost every country around the world has some type of practicing midwives that are required to have some sort of certification.
Midwives have a wide variety of responsibilities. Depending on what country they are practicing in, the role of a midwife can vary but it is safe to say that they handle almost all aspects of pregnancy including care after the baby is born. Not only do they aid in labor and delivery but they teach new mothers things like breastfeeding and care of the baby. The education and training required to become a midwife is different depending on the country you are looking to practice in. While some countries require degrees in certain fields others require certain types of certification. In the United States, one can become a midwife with a nursing degree or directly enter the field as a direct entry midwife.
Midwife Resources:
- ACNM – The website of the American College of Nurse Midwifes with information on continuing education, publications, and research, and resources.
- Midwifery Today – The website of Midwifery Today, a magazine with articles, publications, conference information, and other midwife resources.
- Midwifery Journal – The Midwifery Journal with information on submitting articles, and sample issues online.
- CFD – Citizens for Midwifery, a national consumer based group that promotes the midwives model of care, free membership.
- Midwifery – A list of midwifery resources and information from the World Health Organization.
- Midwife Careers – Information on how to become a midwife in the United States including a list of schools and resources.
- Midwives – An article about midwives and their role from the American Pregnancy Association.
- What Is A Midwife? – An overview of midwifery including requirements for becoming a midwife and finding a midwife in your area.
- Midwifery History – An in-depth timeline showing the history of midwifery around the world.