Abstract
Developing nations are plagued by high maternal mortality rates, unwanted pregnancies, and family planning policies that aim to control population growth through sterilization and unsafe birth control drugs. In such harsh settings, traditional midwives are important and effective agents of women’s wellness and family planning policy. This essay will evaluate the community roles of professional versus traditional midwives in rural Asia, including discussion regarding the meager respect afforded traditional midwives by physicians and clinic staff without acknowledging the work they accomplish with such limited resources. Analysis of the results of midwife training programs will compare government-sponsored programs’ curricula to outreach education by colleagues from the international community, showing that these professional midwives provide methods for integrating traditional midwives into professional (hospital) circles as well as offering more realistic approaches to midwives in indigenous communities in the face of Western biomedicine’s influx into government policy. Data will also be presented that suggests that maternal mortality rates are reduced as a result of pre- and post-partum care from midwives, and that education and home visits by midwives helps advance women’s status by increasing their ability to regulate their fertility.
Professional versus Traditional Midwives
The international definition of midwife ratified by the World Health Organization (WHO) describes an individual who has completed a duly recognized program of study and is registered or legally licensed to practice midwifery in their country (WHO, 2000). This differs from most cultural definitions of a midwife. More often, midwives are any woman experienced in birth and recognized by her community to be a midwife. WHO calls these women Traditional Birthing Assistants (TBAs), and considers them care providers who fall outside the formal sector of skilled birth attendants. However, these women are experienced in maternal care and offer expertise to their clients. They are also accepted by their communities as able midwives and habitually afforded more trust than professionals.
Professional midwives in Northern nations receive eight or more years of education. Their practice is usually categorized as an alternative form of healthcare. In fact, an e...
... middle of paper ...
...men’s Enews,
September 25, 2003. Retrieved February 7, 2005 from http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/1539/cintext/archive
Maine, D., Murat, Z.A., Chakraborty, J., Francisco, A. de, & Strong, M. (1996). Why did maternal mortality rates decline in Matlab? Studies in Family Planning, 27(4), 179-187.
Mcrory, F. (1995). HIV testing and pregnancy. [Electronic version]. Midwifery Matters,
67, 10-13.
Nasir, K., & Hyder, A.A. (2003). Violence against pregnant women in developing countries. European Journal of Public Health, 13 (2), 105-107.
Phillips, J.F. & Hossain, M.B. (2003). The impact of household delivery of family planning services on women’s status in Bangladesh. International Family Planning Perspectives, 29(3), 138-145.
Rogers, E. M. & Solomon, D. S. (1975). Traditional midwives and family planning in
Asia. Studies in Family Planning, 6(5), 126-133.
UNICEF Press Release. (2004). UN taskforce meets to address infant infection with
HIV/AIDS. Retrieved March 3, 2005 from www.unicef.org
World Health Organization (WHO). (2000). Global action for skilled attendants for pregnant women. Department of Reproductive Health and Research publication.
Contrary to having doctors deliver babies today, midwives were called upon to deliver babies during the eighteenth century. There were many more midwives than there were doctors during that time. In addition, Martha served as a midwife, nurse, physician, mortician, pharmacist, and attentive wife simultaneously (40). Aside from being able to deliver babies, midwives were also highly experienced in medical care—they tended to wounds, diagnosed illnesses, and made medicine. Midwives were more accessible and abundant when compared to doctors—they did not require any formal training or education. When the medical field was underdeveloped, the midwives were the leading resource when it was related to medical conflicts.
"I had traveled much on the Kennebec, by water, by ice, and, during those treacherous seasons when the river was neither one nor the other, by faith" (e.g., A Midwife's Tale). Martha's diary is one of the few documents written by a woman that exist today and that describes the behavior, occupation, roles, and daily activities of a common society in the 18th century during and after the Revolution. Although she dedicates her whole life to help others and her family, the diary exposes a very different world with the very different community. Many other history documents lacked the problems of women and the lack of written documents by the female gender. Through this document, Martha gives the importance of women in the community and how they
In every culture health play an essential part of life but means to achieve that healthy being may vary from one country to another depending on their belief system. It is important that professional healthcare providers obtain a proficiency in different cultures and respect these customs as they may influence patient’s behaviors towards receiving care. Birthing is a very important stage in the life of a Vietnamese woman . the Vietnamese culture is very diverse as many of their cultural practices have been influenced by the country’s’ strategic located between china and India. The Vietnamese people religiously observe their traditions and beliefs especially in pregnancy and during and after delivery.
Michels, S., Netter, S., Marquez, L., & Ghebremedhin, S. (2009, April 14). Why Do Some
Toombs, R. J., Ducher, G., Shepherd, J. A., & Souza, M. J. (2012). The impact of recent
A labor and delviery nurse has vast knowledge of the process and methods that are required for delivery and bring a new life into the world and is educated with the responsibilities of assiting the new born babies with their medical issues. Considering all the responsibilites needed to take on this career, such as assisting women with complications within the pregnancy, delivering a newborn and managing post birth issuses, the nurse must be professional in his or her work at all times. All people wishing to pursue the career of being a Labor and Delivery Nurse must also have good analytical skills, as part of there job to montior and analyze the mother and child (CollegeAtlas.org).
Ottenberg, A. L., Wu, J. T., Poland, G. A., Jacobson, R. M., Koenig , B. A., & Tilburt, J. C.
Firstly, my name is Amal Abdi, I am seventeen years old and currently attend Bsix College where I am a full time student; working hard to gain my level three diploma in health and social care. This essay is going to identify my career aspirations and the skills required to fulfil my dream of becoming a midwife it will also highlight my values,practice and also my beliefs .
"The Role of a Nurse / Midwife." Irish Nursing Board, An Bord Altranais. N.p., n.d.
Though, it is work of Monique as a midwife which makes this book predominantly useful for learning the cultural dynamics in Mali of sexuality, childbirth and reproductive health of women. The young midwife Monique Dembele working in Nampossela and to the east of Bamako, the Malian villages, is the center of this appealing narrative penned by Kris Holloway who was helping in the Peace Corps in Mali from 1989 to 1991. Kris as instructed by Monique assists in midwifery work in the small, ruined birthing house, which was built by the Chinese in an earlier initiative of
Pairman,S., Tracy, S., Thorogood, C., & Pincombe, J. (2013). Theoretical frameworks for midwifery practice. Midwifery: Preparation for practice.(2nd ed, pp. 313-336). Chatswood, N.S.W. : Elsevier Australia
Chances are that terms such as “midwife” and “home birth” conjure up for you old-fashioned images of childbirth. These words may bring to mind scenes from old movies, but you’re not likely to associate them with the modern image of childbirth. Do you know anyone who has had a midwife-assisted birth or a home birth? Would you consider one?
I am a registered staff nurse who prior to commencing my midwifery training was working on a surgical ward facilitating pre and postoperative care for critically and chronically ill patients. I was fortunate that during my nursing training I had an opportunity to be assigned practice placement with the community midwives and visit the labour ward. After this learning experience I was able to make a decision to undertake midwifery training after completing the required period of post registration experience. While with the community midwife I attended antenatal clinics where I practiced midwifery skills, namely palpation and auscultation with a Pinard’s stethoscope and enhanced my communication skills. Unfortunately I was unable to hear anything through a Pinard’s stethoscope and so when I made a decision to pursue midwifery tr...
Duley, S. M., Cancelli, A. A., Kratochwill, T. R., Bergan, J. R., & Meredith, K. E. (1983).
An important area for the development of a country is definitely the health sector, but in countries like Nepal where the Human Development Index(WHO, 2012) is only 0.463, a lot of people do not even receive any health provisions. The ethnic groups such as Dalit and Janajati in Nepal, are much affected by the unequal access and use of state- provided public health resources, facilities and services. In many cases, even among all these, it is the women and children (especially girls) who suffer the most as they are discriminated based on gender, caste and ethnicity. That being said, through this research I will be focusing on the health issues among the women in Nepal and how various factors such as the gender inequality, caste system, and traditional beliefs contribute to affect their health.