What’s Midwifery About?

The basic definition of a midwife is someone,usually a woman who helps other women deliver babies in the hospital and at homes of these women. Well, that was what I also thought. But the definition above is just a minute aspect of midwifery. Because midwifery is not just about helping expectant mothers give birth. It’s about helpinpg women of all ages with their reproductive health issues which can be both physically and mentally. Thus we establish the fact that midwifery starts even before a woman gets pregnant.

Sometimes, before women get pregnant, they visit the hospital to get a full body check up, to know if everything is right with their bodies and to treat problems found. This helps in preparing their bodies for the pregnancy ahead. During pregnancy, most women visit the antenatal clinic on a monthly or weekly basis depending on their period of gestation (pregnancy). Most midwives believe that birth is a natural process, so midwives take care of pregnant women by examining them from head to toe, requesting and interpreting laboratory results and scans, checking on the unborn baby by checking the fetal heart rate, teaching expectant mothers about the appropriate food groups and how to combine them to obtain the nutrients needed for the growth and development of both mother and unborn baby.

Midwives also help women who have emotional problems which include coping with pregnancy, fear of childbirth and sometimes family problems. The signs and symptoms of labour and any danger signs during pregnancy and labour is also taught by midwives and what steps to take when this happens. Midwives support mothers during childbirth by telling them techniques and tips needed for safe birth of the baby and to reduce maternal exhaustion and stress. After birth, examination of both mother and baby is done by midwives to make sure both mother and baby are healthy. Midwives help women establish breastfeeding and give mothers information to help them take care of their babies and families. This is just but a few of what midwifery is about.

Therefore, I believe midwifery is not just about helping women to give birth or bringing new offspring to the world, but helping them give birth, feel good about the experience, helping her to realize and appreciate her relevance and giving her facts and information that changes her views about herself and the world and makes her feel beautiful, happy, content, hopeful and confident.