Midwives are health care professionals specializing in pregnant and childbirth who develop a trusting relationship with their clients, which results in confident, supported labor and birth. While there are different types of midwives practicing in various settings, all midwives are trained to provide comprehensive prenatal care and education, guide labor and birth, address complications, and care for newborns
The Midwives Model of Care™ is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life events. The Midwives Model of Care includes:
- monitoring the physical, psychological and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle
- providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support
- minimizing technological interventions and
- identifying and referring womxn who require obstetrical attention.
The application of this model has been proven to reduce to incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section.
Do midwives improve the quality of care?
The potential of midwives for improving quality of care:
- 83% of all maternal deaths, stillbirths and newborn deaths could be averted with the full package of midwifery care (including family planning);
- 62% of effective practices within the scope of midwifery show the importance of optimising the normal processes of childbirth and early life, and empowering womxn to care for themselves and their families;
- 56% of maternal and neonatal outcomes where found to be improved through midwifery practice and philosophy of care;
- 87% of service need can be delivered by midwives, when educated to international standards;
- 82% reduction in maternal mortality possible with universal midwifery coverage;
- Midwifery is associated with more efficient use of resources and improved outcomes when provided by midwives who are educated, trained, licenced and regulated in international standards.
- Midwifery is associated with reduced maternal and neonatal morbidity, reduced interventions in labour, improved psycho-social outcomes and increased birth spacing and contraceptive use;
- Community based midwives have been found to rank positively for economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
References
World Health Organization
Midwives Alliance of North America