Pregnancy

Midwives

To understand the importance of midwives in modern pregnancy assistance, you need to understand first what midwifery involves. The term usually describes the art of assisting at childbirth, so midwives are health care givers who provide prenatal care to pregnant women, attend childbirth and also provide postpartum care to the mother and her baby.

Midwifery is an autonomous practice whose practitioners are known as midwives. Because the term means "with the woman" it is applied indistinctly to both women and men. Midwives provide general women's health care after specialized training to develop diverse areas of expertise.

Midwives have an important role in health education and counseling, as well as complementing and helping the task of gynecologists and obstetricians. A midwife can introduce a mother-to-be or a couple to prenatal education and preparation for parenthood, extending the support to some areas of family planning, childcare and even gynecology.

You can feel confident about their services because they have the knowledge to give the necessary supervision, care and advice during your pregnancy. Midwives usually practice at hospitals, birthing centers, clinics and health units, but they can offer their services to attend domiciliary conditions or in any other service that you may require.

Midwife's care assistance includes pregnancy preventative measures, detection of abnormal conditions in mother and the developing baby, the procurement of medical assistance when required, and the execution of any emergency measure in the absence of medical help, particularly during labor and delivery.

Historically, midwifery has existed since the time of Ancient Greece, but it became particularly popular during the 18th century in Europe , as a medical practice dominated by female practitioners. Division between surgeons and midwives arose when medical men began their assertions about modern scientific processes for labor and delivery.

The arrival of the 19th century in Europe was the beginning of the so-called modern times, bringing the substitution of midwives with surgeons in the delivery rooms or home attendance, while in America , midwives remained active as folk-medical helpers, particularly in rural areas.

Today, midwives are recognized internationally as certified practitioners accredited by renowned organizations, clinics and institutes including, among others:

• American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM)
• Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)
• Licensed Midwife (LM)
• Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)
• Citizens for Midwifery (CfM)
• Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC)
• North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)
• ACNM Certification Council (ACC)
• Certified Midwife (CM)
• Direct-Entry Midwife (DEM)
• International Confederation of Midwives (ICM)