Midwife/Nursing Essay

Midwife
Overview: Midwives care for pregnant women before, during, and immediately after childbirth. They deliver babies for low-risk pregnancies.

It's easy but incorrect to believe that midwives just deliver babies. While that is a key part of their job, most midwives work closely with the expectant mother and her family before the baby is ever born. They help the pregnant woman learn the best ways to take care of herself. This means that they educate pregnant women about nutrition, exercise, and general well-being. Midwives also help pregnant women plan for childbirth. This includes helping women determine how they will manage pain. In general, midwives emphasize very little technological intervention during delivery. This means that certain surgical procedures and pain medications are discouraged. It's important to remember that midwives usually work with women with "low-risk" pregnancies. If complications occur, midwives direct their patients to doctors.

Midwives also assist women after they've given birth. They provide care for new mothers and infants for a short period. They also help mothers recover after delivery. Midwives may also assist with general care for newborns. In addition, they often help new mothers and babies learn how to breastfeed.

There are two main types of midwives in the U.S. The first are nurse midwives. They are usually trained first as nurses and then as midwives. The second group is called direct entry midwives. They became midwives without studying nursing first. There are several kinds of direct entry midwives and their legal status varies by state.
    • Helpful Electives in High School:
    • Anatomy and Physiology
    • Child Development
    • Computer Applications
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Foreign Language
    • Introduction to Health Care
    • Nursing
    • Safety and First Aid
  Preperations:
    To work as a certified nurse midwife, you must:
  have a high school diploma or GED;
  complete a...