Midwifery is a sub-field of the healthcare professions that deals with providing services for pregnant women, new mothers and their infants. Certified nurse-midwives are involved in prenatal and postnatal medical care, in offering health counselling and support, and in preparing families for parenthood.
In order to practice Midwifery, students have to complete at least an undergraduate degree in Midwifery or in a related field. Midwifery studies require a great amount of time spent in clinical practice. Besides specific medical knowledge and an education centred on women and family, Midwifery also aims at developing qualities such as empathy, compassion, good communication and teamwork skills.
As a future midwife you will learn everything there is to know about the phases of human pregnancy, childbirth and the the postpartum period. You will learn how to best take care of newborns, making sure their needs are well taken care of, while teaching new mothers how to care for their infants after your service ends. Your help will be mostly needed in the case of natural births, as births that require additional medical procedures usually involve the presence and intervention of a doctor.
It is quite common for people to find their way into Midwifery through another career in healthcare, such as nursing, physician assistance, maternity support work, etc. Regardless of background, certified graduates in midwifery have good professional prospects. They can develop further into senior practitioner roles, or become unit leaders who mix managing staff with ongoing hands-on involvement. Specialisations include neonatal nursing or health visiting. Professional midwives usually work in public or private hospitals, small maternity units, birth centres, or are self-employed.
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