by Mia Davies

Although many lay claim to being the ‘oldest profession in the world’, midwifery, in one form or another, has undoubtedly been an integral part of society for as long as we have been giving birth. The word 'midwife' comes from the old English 'mid' meaning with, and 'wife' meaning woman. Traditionally, this was the role of the local ‘handywoman’ - a woman who despite a lack of formal training, was experienced at assisting birthing women and often had several children herself.

All this changed in 1902, when Parliament passed the Midwives’ Act. This established a formal qualification which it was necessary for midwives to achieve before they were allowed to practise, effectively transforming midwifery into the profession it is today. Nowadays, the route into midwifery is strictly controlled by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) who regulate the training that must be undertaken and provide a code of professional conduct to which midwives must adhere.

The most common misconception about midwives is that they just ‘deliver babies’. In fact, for many midwives, this is only a small proportion of their work. Who is there to provide the antenatal care, advice and support that women need as they prepare to become mothers? If complications arise at any point in the pregnancy, who is there to recognise it and ensure the appropriate referral is made? After the birth, who is there to support women with establishing feeding, learning about and bonding with their babies, checking the woman’s body is returning to its pre-pregnancy state and discussing contraceptive choices? The midwives!