Midwifery

About this programme

Being a midwife is all about supporting mothers during childbirth and caring for them and their newborns during the first weeks following labour. As a midwife you support future parents through the pregnancy and breastfeeding. An essential part of your work is independently supporting mothers during physiological labour and caring for them and their newborns during the following first few weeks. This also includes monitoring their state of health, giving practical advice about breastfeeding and how to take care of newborns and infants, as well as introducing the mother to postnatal recovery exercises. During pregnancy, the medical care the mother receives from her gynaecologist is complemented by consultations with the midwife. These consultations are offered during the Mother-and-Child Pass examinations. The midwife also informs the mother regarding the most important aspects of health prevention such as nutrition and addictive substances, as well as the psychological impacts of fear and anxiety, labour positions, delivery mechanisms and pain management. With the increasing awareness regarding the importance of the pregnancy for the future development of the child, the range of working fields for midwives is also growing. Besides the traditional field of labour preparation, many midwives also integrate complementary methods such as acupuncture and homoeopathy into their work. Many midwives choose to combine their permanent position in a hospital with working as freelance midwives offering pre- and post-care or assisted home births.