Please Note: This article is aimed at a UK audience.

So what is a Midwife's role?

 

Well a Midwife's role can vary from person to person depending on their own views and opinions. So here is what some of our users say, so you can see how the role of the midwife can be perceived.

 

 

 

In short terms I see a midwife's role as giving an expectant parent the advice she needs and information to make informed choices through pregnancy, whilst monitoring her & the baby's health. Supporting the women in labour to have a safe birth as possible and then helping her with which feeding method the parent chooses whilst checking her and the baby's health and supplying her with information she may need when at home. And obviously answering questions in between.

Source: Charlie taken from The Midwifery Sanctuary

 

I think it is a very diverse role that is tailored to fit the families' needs from pre-conception right through to up to 28 days after the birth. A large part of the role of a midwife is health promotion and education; a midwife offers non-biased, up to date information to enable the women to make informed choices during the pre, ante & postnatal periods. The midwife is monitoring the health of the mother & fetus during the pregnancy, but more importantly teaching women how to recognise deviations from normal & how to believe in her body. Midwives have a very 2 fold role in labour...supporting the mother to achieve the best outcome possible for the birth by using a number of different methods ie movement, gravity, positioning, encouragement and advising of pain management, they also need to monitor the well-being of the mother and baby ensuring that they report any abnormal events outside their scale of practise. The midwife needs to check the baby after the birth & assist the mother with feeding baby, ensuring she has eaten, drinking & passing urine. Personally I like to make sure my ladies are bathed, and happy before I leave if poss. Before the women leaves (if in hospital) it should be ensured she knows how to care for baby (change, feed, top&tail, bath, cord & eye care etc) advice should be given to the mother re her hormonal changes and lactation, and normal blood loss. The care of the woman & baby should be tailored to the individual circumstances.

Source: Honeymonster taken from The Midwifery Sanctuary

 

A midwife is a specialist who is qualified to give total care to a woman and her baby during pregnancy, labour and after the baby is born. The midwife does not have to call in a doctor unless there is a potential or actual problem which requires medical assistance.

Source: Association of Radical Midwives

 

A midwife works with women during and after their pregnancy offering guidance and support and empowering them to make decisions about their own care. Antenatal care, including monitoring health and looking for anything outside 'normailty', and promoting health in pregnancy, assisting with the labour and delivery of the baby and postnatal care and support in the first weeks oh the child's life.

Source: ljdrew taken from The Midwifery Sanctuary

 

The role of a midwife is very diverse, it requires a woman-centred approach, but family focused, they support, educate and provide information so the woman can make informed choices regarding antenatal, delivery and postnatal care such as screening tests, where to deliver, and how they want to deliver, and what feeding methods they want to use. a midwife should delivery high quality care to everyone no matter what their background is, a non judgemental approach is essential and the quality of care should be personalised to each woman's needs!

Source: Tracy taken from The Midwifery Sanctuary

 

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. The midwife is recognised as a responsible and accountable professional who works in partnership with women to give the necessary support, care and advice during pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period, to conduct births on the midwife’s own responsibility and to provide care for the newborn and the infant. This care includes preventative measures, the promotion of normal birth, the detection of complications in mother and child, the accessing of medical care or other appropriate assistance and the carrying out of
emergency measures. The midwife has an important task in health counselling and education, not only for the woman, but also within the family and the community. This work should involve antenatal education and preparation for parenthood and may extend to women’s health, sexual or
reproductive health and child care. A midwife may practise in any setting including the home, community, hospitals, clinics or
health units.

Source: International Confederation of Midwives