Midwifery and Infant Care

According to the Expectant Mother's Guide, midwives have been the main caretakers of delivering newborns throughout history. Along with birthing babies, midwifery involves helping with infant care.

Terminology

• The term "midwife" means "with woman," which is symbolic of the centuries of help and support women give to each other in childbirth.

Profession

• A certified nurse-midwife (CNM) or certified midwife (CM) offers primary gynecologic and maternal care to women. A CNM or CM must be responsible and accountable for her midwifery practice.

Training

• Midwives are registered nurses who have undergone advanced training in an accredited school and have passed a national certification exam. Further, they must stay licensed within the state, and show their capability by undergoing continuing medical education.

Prenatal Care

• Midwife prenatal care includes assessing the expectant mother's blood pressure, weight and urine as well as fetal heart rate and fetal growth. All prenatal visits include preparing the mother for childbirth and infant care.

Post-Delivery

• The midwife helps the mother in deciding which infant feeding method to use after delivery. Midwives are experts at providing breastfeeding advice, support and education, so the mother can have a positive breastfeeding experience with her baby.