Midwives are valued members of the health care community. If you are a midwife, your role in helping mothers give birth is crucial. If you or a loved one are expecting a child, you should make sure you learn everything that you can! Midwives are not as well-known as doctors, so this post will explain who they are and what they do.
Definition of midwife
Midwife is a noun.
Midwives are professionals who specialize in health related to pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum care, and the health of women and newborns. They are especially educated and trained to help with labor and birth, and can take the place of doctors in aiding a birth.
Many times, they can deal with higher-risk situations, such as mothers pregnant with twins or with infants that are not in the typical position before birth. They can help with childbirth in a less invasive way that does not require surgery.
In some situations, they may be the only professionals available to help with childbirth; in others, they may assist a doctor during childbirth.
Sometimes, a midwife may work with families in the home instead of the hospital. In these situations, they have a special obligation to educate and counsel the family throughout their pregnancy and birth.
Regardless, midwives often perform tests on women to ensure they are healthy before, throughout, and after pregnancy.
Examples
The following sentences are examples of the word “midwife” used in context.
- Are you going to use a midwife for your birth? I heard they can be a great option for some people.
- Midwives usually understand more of what patients go through. They have more time to talk with you if you have questions about your pregnancy.
- Most midwives are women, because they work with women who are going to give birth. However, some cultures have mostly men midwives.
Dialogue
The following is a dialog between two people about midwives. One of them is expecting a child and the other is the doctor who is advising the mother about her upcoming birth.
Doctor: Hi, Amy. Everything looks great with you today. Thanks for checking in. It’s important to be consistent with your checkups.
Amy: Hi Doctor! Thank you. I wanted to ask you about midwives. Should I be thinking about them for my birth?
Doctor: That’s a great question. I think this is really a personal decision. In this hospital, we don’t usually have midwives, but there are several options you can explore. For example, some people will hire a midwife to be on call for them. You can phone them when you are going into labor.
Amy: Oh, really? How does that work? The midwife just comes to my house?
Doctor: Yes, in that case, they would. You can also think about asking a midwife to accompany you to the hospital when you go into labor. This might be the option I recommend because the hospital has more advanced medical equipment that us doctors can use in the unlikely case of emergency.
Amy: Oh, I see. I think I might feel more comfortable with that option. Can you tell me where I can find a midwife?
Doctor: Sure, let me ask the nurse to give you some information.
Related Words
These words are related to midwife and have the same word root as it.
Midwifery (noun): the study or profession of being a midwife
Male midwife (noun): a midwife who is a man; you do not have to specify whether a midwife is a man or woman, but if it is necessary to point out the difference, you can use this phrase
Synonyms and clarifications
- Obstetrics (noun): the medical science of caring for women who may become pregnant, are pregnant, or have just given birth.
- Obstetrician (noun): a medical doctor trained in obstetrics
› Obstetrician vs Midwife
Be aware that being trained in obstetrics is not the same as being trained in midwifery, although the two fields cover very similar medical niches. A professional who is trained in obstetrics is known as an obstetrician, and is a certified medical doctor (MD).
They have completed medical school and related postgraduate training. A midwife is certified as a midwife, but is not a recognized medical doctor.
- Obstetric Nurse (noun): a nurse who specializes in working with pregnant women
› Obstetric Nurse job description vs Midwife job description
These two kinds of professionals work very closely together and their roles sometimes overlap if there is one but not the other. However, obstetric nurses are trained first in nursing, and then specialize in obstetrics.
They also can perform more in-depth tests during the birthing process that midwives usually do not have the training for. Midwives, on the other hand, can educate their patients more and tend to stay with the same patient throughout pregnancy.
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