THE HISTORY OF MIDWIFERY

GROUP 9

OBJECTIVES

By the end of this presentation, one should know:

The history of midwifery What midwifery is Who a midwife is The types of midwives The roles of a midwife

HISTORY OF MIDWIFERY

• Although the seeds of midwifery were slow to grow, they proved to be enduring.

• The word midwife is derived from middle English ‘mit wif’ meaning ‘with woman’.

• Formerly, midwives did not undergo any formal education but they were women who had experiences as far as childbirth was concerned

• In ancient times, midwifery had both technical and magical aspects.

• During the 15th and 16th century, midwives were burnt because of the people’s perception of them as being companions of the devil.

HISTORY OF MIDWIFERY CONTD.

• In Genesis 35:17 of the bible, the midwife was mentioned as someone who helped Rachel, when she was in labour.

• In early Greeks and Roman times midwives were the caregivers to women during their monthly cycle.

• Midwives used herbs and potions routinely before the discovery of modern day medicine.

CONTD.

• In 1925,Mary Breckinridge, established frontier nursing service.

• In 1928, the first professional organization for nurse-midwives began with the establishment of American Association of Nurse-Midwives.

• In 1955, the American College Of Nurse-Midwifery was chartered.

• Between the 1970-1980’s midwifery began to grow rapidly.

WHAT IS MIDWIFERY AND WHO THEN IS A MIDWIFE?

• According to WHO (2013), midwifery encompasses care of women during pregnancy, labour 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.

TYPES OF MIDWIVES

During the 1970’s, there were three categories of midwives:

• Granny midwives • Lay midwives • Traditional birth attendants• Formal education has improved aspects

of midwifery and classified them into two main categories ;

• Certified nurse-midwife• Direct entry midwife

ROLES OF A MIDWIFE

• Promote health and self-care to expectant mothers, infants and families.

• Serves as an advocate for women e.g. cultural sensitivity

• Focuses on health promotion and disease prevention.

• Respect for human dignity and for women as persons with full human rights.

Although all midwives attend births in hospitals, they may also work in the home, clinics,

communities and maternal units.

REFERENCES

Sara Howard (2013) Midwifery retrieved April 17, 2014 from www.powershow.com

Cordelia S.H.(2014) A brief History Of Midwifery in America. Retrieved April 11, 2014 from wholisticmaternalnewbornhealth.org/professional-education/history-of-midwifery

midwifeinsight.com/articles/a-short-history-of-midwifery/,retrieved April 18,2014.