Midwifery Fact Sheet

from the CPHA Position Paper on Midwifery by Janis Wood Catano

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For most of human history, the midwife has been the primary, and is most cases, only, attendant available to birthing women. The “medicalization” of childbirth, that is, the belief that childbirth is `a potentially diseased condition that routinely required the arts of medicine to overcome the processes of nature' has occurred principally during the last century, resulting in the current system in which, for most Canadian women, a physician is the only attendant available.

Over the past 25 years, the women's health movement has begun to define birth as a natural process and to advocate for more control over the process by women. They have questioned whether medically managed, hospital based birth is the most appropriate option for all women, and have advocated for more choices in both place of birth and birth attendant.

Midwifery care bridges the gap between these two divergent philosophies of childbearing, one in which pregnancy and birth are viewed as medical events, requiring expert management and control by physicians, and another in which birth is considered to be a social event, a part of ordinary life experience. Midwives are highly trained specialists in the care of normal pregnancy and birth. They work in partnership with mothers and families to offer comprehensive health based on respect for pregnancy as a state of health and childbirth as a normal healthy process. They practice as part of a health care team and refer clients to other practitioners should problems arise or more specialized care be required.

Midwifery has been recognized internationally for its:

SAFETY

• Midwifery has been shown to provide safe care for uncomplicated pregnancies and births.
• Midwifery care has been demonstrated to improve birth outcomes and reduce the number of premature and low-birthweight babies
• Midwifery education and practice uphold the natural processes of pregnancy and birth and train practitioners to detect pathology early.
• Midwives practice in collaboration and consultation with medical specialists and hospitals and refer clients when necessary.

PRACTICALITY

• Midwifery is a practical and cost-effective means of providing care for uncomplicated pregnancies and births.
• Midwifery is a legitimate and recognized component of a primary health care system.

FLEXIBILITY

• Midwifery care is individualized to meet each woman's health, social and personal needs.
• Midwives can practice as part of an interdisciplinary health care team or as independent practitioners.
• Midwifery services can be provided in a variety of institutional, community-based and domiciliary practice Settings.

COMPREHENSIVENESS

• Midwifery services can include: adolescent and well-woman gynecological care; maternal health care, including prenatal education and counselling; prenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care; continuous support during labour; supervision and assistance during childbirth; breast feeding counselling; parenting education; care of the newborn; family planning counselling.
• Midwifery services provide continuity of care throughout pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period.

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