The role of the midwife in childbirth

The role of the midwife in childbirth

In normal pregnancies, it is the midwives who give birth and the role of the doctor is limited in most cases to supervising the birth. The work of the midwife during the birth is therefore very important.  The midwife takes care of the patient as soon as she arrives in the delivery room. Depending on the hospital, one midwife can look after several delivery rooms. This is not the case if you use the services of a private midwife, who then only looks after her own patient.

At the beginning, the midwife should go through the birth plan and, if it has not been prepared in advance, work it out with the woman giving birth. It is important to remember that the plan will be carried out if there are no complications. If medical complications arise, some points can be skipped. The midwife should also familiarise the patient and the accompanying person with the delivery room and the painkillers available. During labour, the midwife’s role is to suggest different positions to the woman in labour and to monitor the ECG. In the second stage of labour, i.e. from full dilation to the birth of the baby, the midwife, together with the patient, helps the newborn to deliver. She can give instructions on when to push and when not to push, although today great care is taken to make the birth as natural as possible. If medically indicated, the midwife can make an episiotomy, for example to avoid hypoxia of the baby. However, there should always be at least verbal consent from the patient for this procedure.

The midwife’s task is not only to supervise the birth, but also to support and reassure the patient. It is worthwhile to build a relationship with the midwife so that the birth takes place in the best possible and relaxed atmosphere.

Private midwife during delivery

More and more women today are choosing to be cared for by a private midwife during childbirth. This gives the patient the security of being accompanied by a midwife who is not present at other births at that time. The cost of such a service depends on the city and the hospital in question. Advocates of a private midwife point out that you can get to know the midwife before you come to the hospital, which makes it easier to build a relationship and, in the long run, to work together in the delivery room. This way you can also choose a midwife whose approach and character best suits the expectant mother. This gives you a sense of security and increases your freedom during the birth. Of course, it is not necessary to use the services of a private midwife and this is an individual decision of the parents depending on their needs and financial possibilities.