Quote:
“The well-being of the mother, the baby and the family is the midwife’s primary concern.” -Midwifery Education Accreditation Council
Definition of Profession:
As the name “midwife” (meaning “with the wife”) suggests, midwives provide care and education for women before, throughout, and after the child-bearing process. The goal of a midwife is to serve the emotional and physical needs of new mothers, fostering in them a sense of self-determination and confidence. Midwives are fully capable of delivering babies under normal birthing circumstances, but usually refer high-risk cases and major complications to obstetricians. The role of the midwife does not stop at delivery, however, as most midwives continue to care for the mother and newborn child for up to six months after birth.
About the Field:
Here are some interesting statistics about the profession of midwifery: there are currently about 1,000 licensed midwives practicing in the State of New York; in the United States, midwives attended 297,902, or 9.5% of all births; 99% of midwife-attended births occur in the hospital, and the rest occur in homes or birth centers; each year about 400 licensed midwives pass the national certification exam; 68% of licensed midwives hold a Masters degree, and 4% hold a doctoral degree.
How To Get There:
Midwives licensed to practice in the State of New York must have graduated from a State-approved program that includes both classroom coursework and clinical training in pediatric care, pharmacology, well-woman care, neonatal care, family planning, and gynecological care.
On The Job:
In addition to attending the births of newborns, midwives offer annual exams including gynecological care, primary care, health screening and counseling with a focus on health promotion and disease prevention. They are qualified to perform and provide history and physical examinations, first exams for young women, family planning and pre-conception counseling, well-woman and adolescent gynecological care, and perimenopausal/ postmenopausal counseling and care. Before, during, and after birth, midwives handle hospital admission, rounds, and discharge, newborn circumcision, assistance during surgical procedures, and referrals to specialists. Some midwives also engage in public education activities.
Lifestyle:
So you want to be a midwife? You should be advised that, on average, a midwife is on-call—ready to attend a birth or provide medical care anytime of the day or night—approximately 2 weeks of every month, even if it means missing important family events. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Salary Range:
The average national salary of a midwife is $ 85,000/year, but because midwives are paid by the birth, their annual income can vary widely depending on how many births they attend per year.
You are:
It goes without saying that you have a genuine desire to help people. Midwives should be able to relate well to people of all ages and backgrounds, be able to build up trust with women and their families, be able to help mothers feel confident and in control. Effective communication skills are key, as is the remain calm in pressure or emergency situations. Midwives must be able to explain processes to people who have no medical knowledge. Effective midwives enjoy working in a team but also on their own initiative, have maturity, compassion and sensitivity, respect the mother’s wishes about how and where to have her baby unless it is dangerous to do so.
Related Professions:
Dietetics-Nutrition
Physician
Physician Assistant
Nursing
Physical Therapy
Occupational Therapy
