May 5: International Midwives' Day

Manuel Van den Broucke, sports, society and politics correspondent, May 5, 2025

The midwifery profession

Midwives are healthcare professionals specialized in managing prenatal care, childbirth, and postnatal follow-up. They monitor pregnancies, provide advice on nutrition, pain management and hygiene, and check the vital signs of mother and child. They also run childbirth preparation sessions, where they explain to expectant mothers the different stages of labor, breathing techniques and pain management methods. During childbirth, they handle the delivery and step in if complications arise, such as issues with the baby's positioning or abnormal bleeding. After birth, they provide postnatal follow-up, checking the physical and emotional health of mother and child.

Training and skills of midwives

In France, becoming a midwife requires passing an entrance exam after the baccalaureate, followed by five years of training. Once admitted, students follow a program that includes courses in anatomy, physiology, biology, as well as training on conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth. They also learn to perform monitoring ultrasounds, identify signs of complications, and manage obstetric emergencies. Training also includes inserting IVs, performing perineal sutures after childbirth, and administering medication. In addition to these technical skills, midwives must master emergency interventions, such as neonatal resuscitation and management of postpartum hemorrhage. They must also know how to reassure and advise patients on mental health issues related to pregnancy and childbirth, such as postpartum depression.

Areas where midwives work

The areas in which midwives work are not limited to childbirth alone. They perform preventive gynecological follow-up consultations, including cervical smears for cervical cancer screening. They can also prescribe contraceptives, insert intrauterine devices (IUDs) and contraceptive implants. In some facilities, they also support patients through medically assisted reproduction, providing follow-up before, during and after procedures.