Annually, in October, midwives are celebrated during National Midwifery Week. It is during this month that midwives and friends of midwives honor the tradition of one of the oldest professions. They do this by hosting free health screenings, collecting donations for poor women, holding birth art competitions, or organizing fundraisers. Still, a large number of people, including the women who have been cared for by midwives, have little to no idea what a midwife is, or does. Yet most who have experienced care from midwives will report satisfaction with their treatment, or pleasure in the more holistic approach of their care.
Many believe that midwives only deliver babies in the home. In fact, the majority of the 11.2% of births in America, attended by midwives, occur in hospital settings. While some midwives continue to practice in home birth settings, nearly 60% of midwives list physician practices or medical centers as their employers.
Nurse-midwifery is a growing women’s health profession legal in all 50 states. Those that embark on this career path must attend an accredited university and sit for a postgraduate certification exam. Approximately 85 percent of certified nurse midwives have a master’s or a doctoral degree. Case Western, Yale, Penn, Vanderbilt, and University of California all boast midwifery education programs either through the medical school, nursing school, or schools of public health.
Modern midwives practice across the spectrum of women’s health care, including birth, of course, but also will do gynecological exams, contraceptive counseling, antepartum care of mothers, newborn care, breastfeeding, sexually transmitted disease treatment and prevention, and primary care. Midwives are different from obstetricians and gynecologists in that they do not perform surgery.