The Midwifery Profession

THE MIDWIFERY
PROFESSION
What is Midwifery
According to WHO (2013), midwifery encompasses care of women during pregnancy, labor and
postpartum period as well as care of newborns.
• International Confederation of Midwives (2014) states that a midwife is a person who has
acquired requisite qualifications to be registered and or legally licensed to practice midwifery
and uses the title ‘midwife’ and who demonstrates competency in the practice of midwifery
What is Midwifery
According to WHO (2013), midwifery encompasses care of women during pregnancy, labor and
postpartum period as well as care of newborns.
• International Confederation of Midwives (2014) states that a midwife is a person who has
acquired requisite qualifications to be registered and or legally licensed to practice midwifery
and uses the title ‘midwife’ and who demonstrates competency in the practice of midwifery
During the 1970’s, :
categories
• Granny midwives
of midwives
• Lay midwives
• Traditional birth attendants
Formal education
• Certified nurse-midwife
• Direct entry midwife
A midwife is
a registered health care professional who provides primary care to women
during pregnancy, labor and birth, including conducting normal vaginal
deliveries, and providing care to mothers and babies during the first 6
weeks postpartum.
Midwifery care is
founded on respect for pregnancy and birth as a normal, healthy
process and a profound social, emotional and cultural event in a
woman's life.
Midwives provide
safe, personalized, research-based care.
They attend births in hospital or home according to the woman's
choice and professional protocols and are on-call and available to
their clients 24 hours a day during the course of care.
Midwives begin care in the first trimester of a woman's pregnancy
and provide complete care to their client as the primary caregiver.
Midwifery care includes visits with the client at the midwifery clinic,
attendance at the labour and birth and post partum home visits.
Throughout the client's care,
a midwife or her practice back-up is available on a 24 hour basis.
Midwives consult with physicians if necessary and may transfer care
if required.
A midwife may provide supportive care to her client if care is
transferred.
terminologies
OBSTETRICS
is derived from Latin word OBSTETREX meaning midwife rendering
aid to parturient & stare ( woman ).
MIDWIFERY
◦ MID - with WIF - wife ( woman )
OBSTETRICS deals with the branch of medicine providing care for
parturition ( child birth ) , its antecedents
( pregnancy ) and sequels ( postnatal ).
NEONATOLOGY
branch of medicine dealing with neonate. 4 weeks after birth.
REPRODUCTION
Process by which a fully developed offspring of its kind is produced.
GENETICS
Study of heredity & its variation.
PREGNANCY
State of carrying fetus inside uterus by a woman from conception to
birth . Baby inside the uterus is called fetus.
GESTATION
Means pregnancy.
• Duration 280 days / 40 weeks / 9 calendar months & 7 days.
GESTATIONAL AGE
Duration of gestation from 1st day of last menstrual period.
FERTILIZATION ( OR ) OVULATORY AGE
2 weeks shorter than gestational age.
TRIMESTER
• Trimester of pregnancy is 3 months period.
• First trimester • 12 weeks period from first day of last menstrual period.
• Second trimester
Second three months from 13 to 28 weeks.
• Third trimester
• Third three months from 29 to 40 weeks.
LABOUR
Process of child birth.
NATAL • ‘ Of birth ’
• ANTENATAL ( OR ) PRENATAL • Before birth
• INTRANATAL ( OR ) NATAL • During birth
• POSTNATAL • After birth
MATERNAL
• Relates to state of reproduction in a woman ( pregnancy , child birth & postnatal
period upto 42 days )
PERINATAL
• Period from 28th week of pregnancy ( or 1000 gm and above fetus ) to 7th day of
birth ( early neonatal life).
EXTENDED PERINATAL PERIOD
• Period from 20th week of pregnancy ( 500gm & above fetus) to 7th day of life . •
GRAVIDITY: Pregnancy
• Primigravida = a woman pregnant for the first time
• Multigravida = a woman who has had two or more pregnancies
• PARITY- refers to delivery,
• Nullipara = a woman who has not given birth to a child birth
• Multipara a woman who has given birth to more than one child
• Grand multipara woman who has given birth to or more children
EXPECTED DATE OF DELIVERY ( EDD )
• Calculated by adding nine calendar months & 7 days to first day of
last menstrual period provided menses are regular and normal 28
days cycle.
BIRTH
• Complete expulsion (or) extraction from its mother of a fetus weighing 500gm (or)
more whether (or) not umbilical card has been cut (or) the placenta is attached.
LIVE BIRTH
• Complete expulsion (or) extraction from its mother of a product of conception,
breaths (or) shows any other evidence of life , such as beating the heart, pulsation of
the umbilical cord (or) definite movement of voluntary muscles whether or not the
umbilical card has been cut (or) the placenta is attached, each product of such birth is
considered liveborn.
EMBRYO • Early fetus up to 10weeks of pregnancy
FETUS • Fetus is intrauterine baby when pregnancy is 11 – 40 weeks.
IMMATURE FETUS
• 500 to less than 1000gm / less than 28 weeks
PREMATURE FETUS
• 28 weeks to less than 37 completed weeks / less than 259 days.
TERM
• Pregnancy from 37 completed weeks to less than 42 completed weeks (259 to 293 days).
PRETERM
• Pregnancy from 28 to less than 37 completed weeks (less than 259). •
POST TERM
• Pregnancy of 42 completed weeks or more .

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THE MIDWIFERY

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