Midwife

What is a Midwife?

The following job responsibilities are common for individuals in midwife roles:

• Perform exams and provide prenatal care to expecting mothers
• Deliver babies when mothers go into labor, and assist physicians when emergency procedures—such as caesarian sections—are required
• Teach new mothers how to properly breastfeed their newborn babies and how to use pumps
• Provide pediatric care and offer advice and guidance to the parents of newborn babies
• Counsel women of reproductive ages on the importance of safe sex, and provide STD education

A Day in the Life

Recognized as an occupation and career with a history that goes back more than 3,000 years, midwifery involves pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn care. Modern midwives have become true experts and assist with a growing number of births. In the United States, midwives are equipped with the knowledge and experienced needed to handle common birth complications, such as breech births. However, patients are sent to obstetricians for more complicated issues.

With the growth of the midwife as a career, the scope of the profession has also increased. While previous midwives may have been responsible only for the period of pregnancy and for a short duration after the child is born, many midwives today have taken a more holistic approach and are primary care providers for women on a long-term basis. They have extensive knowledge in sexual and reproductive health as well as prenatal and postpartum concerns.

Most midwives are hired at the beginning of a pregnancy, and their primary responsibility during this early period will be to conduct physical examinations to track fetal development as well as the health of the mother. Additional tasks will include maintaining health records and referring women to specialists when needed, such as for a caesarean section delivery. Many midwives also provide childcare instruction after the birth as another service to clients.

Typical Work Schedule

The hours a certified nurse midwife will work varies depending on the facility, organization, or practice group they are working for, as well as their own personal preference. Most will typically work 8-hour days and 40 hours a week in a clinical setting. Some, however, may work 10 or 12-hour shifts in a hospital.

While the bulk of a midwife’s work will happen during regular business hours, they are also required to be on call during all hours of the day, including weekends and holidays to deliver babies when their mother clients go into labor.

There are many variable shifts available depending on the facility or office a midwife may work for. And, since they have their own scheduling needs, they should visit the group’s website or speak directly with a manager or HR person before applying. While most facilities are flexible in their scheduling, it is a good idea to always conduct research beforehand.

Projected Job Growth

As more and more people discover natural and alternative health treatments and practices, many learn about the possibility of using a midwife for birth and like the idea. This is one reason that nurse midwives are expected to be in high demand for the foreseeable future.

Other reasons for the increase in demand is that these professionals can lend medical support in places that typically have fewer medical resources such as rural parts of the country and poorer inner cities.

In addition, The American College of Nurse-Midwives estimates that one in 10 babies will be delivered by a certified nurse-midwife in the near future. That is a significant jump from just the 3% of births attended by a midwife just 10 years ago.

We can also expect an increase in competition when looking for employment as a midwife. Certified midwives are less likely to face high competition in a hospital setting because turnover is often high. But when looking for jobs in private practice offices or birthing clinics, where regular hours and more the norm and conditions generally more desirable, competition may be higher.

Typical Employers

Midwives are most commonly self-employed, though they may have close relationships with obstetricians in their area with whom they exchange referrals. Midwives typically operate their own businesses and take on clients on a freelance basis. However, they may also work as nurses or assistants in hospitals or the offices of OBGYNs.