What is a midwife?
by Stacy Stich One of the most holy, natural, energizing (and painful) experiences a woman accomplishes in her lifetime is nurturing her unborn child. To feel it grow and move within her own body and then to give birth to another human soul is the quintessential expression of spirituality. And, it is unique to females (at least human ones). It is the hope and philosophy of Midwives to provide personal, loving, educated and competent obstetric and gynecological care to all women. This not only includes the hands on facet but also the emotional and supportive aspects. They listen and hear their patients. They empathize and understand the plight women go through. As a consumer of health care, it is imperative that you be educated to the profession of Midwifery. The misconceptions that plague this profession need to be eradicated. It is equally important that you understand this non-physician profession as the health care system as we know it is rapidly changing.
A midwife is a trained professional with special expertise in supporting women to maintain a healthy pregnancy birth, offering expert individualized care, education, counseling and support to a woman and her newborn throughout the childbearing cycle. A midwife works with each woman and her family to identify their unique physical, social and emotional needs. When the care required is outside the midwife’s scope of practice or expertise, the woman is referred to other health care providers for additional consultation or care. The Midwives Alliance of North America, the North American Registry of Midwives, the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council and Citizens for Midwifery agreed on a short definition of what “midwifery care” means. However, just because a person is a midwife does not guarantee that they provide this kind of care; consumers looking for a midwife should ask questions to determine if a prospective caregiver will be able to provide the kind of care they seek.
A Midwife is an independent practitioner educated in the discipline of midwifery through self-study, apprenticeship, a midwifery school, or a college- or university-based program distinct from the discipline of nursing. A direct-entry midwife is trained to provide the Midwives Model of Care to healthy women and newborns throughout the childbearing cycle primarily in out-of-hospital settings. They provide complete prenatal, birth, and postpartum care until 6 weeks after delivery for low risk women. They rely on natural methods of healing and support throughout the pregnancy, labor, and postpartum.
Official international definition: “A midwife is a person who, having been regularly admitted to a midwifery educational programme, duly recognised in the country in which it is located, has successfully completed the prescribed course of studies in midwifery and has acquired the requisite qualifications to be registered and/or legally licensed to practise midwifery. She must be able to give the necessary supervision, care and advice to women during pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period, to conduct deliveries on her own responsibility and to care for the newborn and the infant. This care includes preventative measures, the detection of abnormal conditions in mother and child, the procurement of medical assistance and the execution of emergency measures in the absence of medical help. She has an important task in health counseling and education, not only for the women, but also within the family and the community. The work should involve antenatal education and preparation for par
A midwife is a person trained to assist woman in the labor and delivery of their babies. For centuries, women have relied solely on a midwife to bring their children into the world. Traditional views held that men should never attend childbirth. Upon the birth of the medical field known as obstetrics, midwifery began to take a back seat to the physicians referred to as obstetricians, but it is once again gaining in popularity. Today, a midwife is usually at least a registered nurse, commonly referred to as a certified nurse midwife. With intense training and years of practical internship, a midwife can provide many of the same services to a pregnant woman that an obstetrician can. A midwife typically works closely with an obstetrician who oversees the pregnancy and is available in the event of any complications, such as the need for a Cesarean section. A midwife ideally begins caring for an expectant mother as soon as a pregnancy is confirmed. Prenatal care given by a midwife includes
