This past Sunday was International Day of the Midwife, a day designated globally to honor and recognize both the historic contribution and current role of midwives and the midwifery model of care to maternal-infant health.  The 2019 theme was “Midwives: Defenders of Women’s Rights.  This day has been celebrated since 1992 with accompanying themes that celebrate the rich and diverse nature of midwifery work. This years theme recognizes “the vital role that midwives play in protecting the rights of women, girls and midwives by ensuring they can exercise their full human rights, particularly their reproductive and sexual health rights in their communities and countries of practice”

The International Confederation of Midwives has toolkits and resources available in many languages, including English, Spanish, and French.

Lamaze International has a special section of their new website dedicated to midwives (and other health care providers), where midwives can learn about today’s Lamaze, and find resources to share with patients that are designed to meet the needs of today’s pregnant, birthing and parenting families.  Lamaze International’s new board president is Christen D. Sadler, MSN, CNM, LCCE, FACCE, a certified nurse-midwife in Houston, Texas.

According to the International Confederation of Midwives, “over 340,000 women and over 3 million infants around the world die each year from preventable complications from pregnancy and childbirth. The majority of these deaths would be prevented if there were enough qualified and adequately resourced midwives available around the world. Midwives are skilled to provide up to 87% of childbirth-related services, making them the ideal health professional to support women through the maternity continuum of care.

The World Health Organization, several United Nations agencies, and other international bodies have identified midwives as the key to reducing maternal and newborn deaths and disabilities globally. With midwives yielding a sixteen-fold return on investment, the ripple effect of improved health outcomes is significant. Midwives save lives.”

Childbirth educators have a unique opportunity to introduce the midwifery model of care to the families in their classes. When families learn about the options available to them, they can make the best choice for their family and their situation.  Do you talk about midwives in your classes?  Lamaze International has an amazing infographic “Who Should Be My Pregnancy Care Provider?” for you to share with students that speak to the benefits of midwifery care and encourages pregnant people to choose the appropriate provider for their own situation.

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