Midwifery
Midwifery literally means ‘with wife’, and refers to the professional occupation of a qualified person – a ‘midwife’ who is responsible for looking after a pregnant woman through to the stage when she becomes a mother. This is in order that both the woman and the unborn child are looked after during all stages of pregnancy so that both remain and maintain good health. This encompasses care for the pregnant woman, known as ‘prenatal’ care, including breathing excercies to practice for birth and health advice such as dietary requirements, through to care of the mother during the birth of the child, culminating in the delivery of the child, and care which continues shortly after the child is born.
The latter is known as ‘postpartum’ care. Midwives are trained experts in the cycle and patterns of pregnancy, and so are capable of offering high quality advice and care to pregnant women, and most especially, are qualified to alert people of signs of abnormality or causes of concern during pregnany, ‘pretnal’ or ‘postpartum’ stages. During birth itself, midwives help create the optimum birthing environment and conditions for a healthy delivery of the child, including fulfilling the birth requirements of the mother. Midwives can be expected to handle the specific pregnancy and birthing situations that may arise such as a breech birth.
Qualifications are usually obtained through a degree or diploma course at a university or recognised higher education institution. In most countries the midwife must then register with the recognised health body upon successful completion of their course; in the UK this is the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
