Midwifery is a health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, including care of the new-born, or practice of assisting women in childbirth. Midwifery is based on the belief that childbirth is natural, healthy process and the most important are fully capable of giving birth. Midwives see pregnancy as part of the full spectrum of life's experience, and they believe individuals have the right to a fulfilling, as safe, childbirth experience. A midwife is called a midwife not because the midwife is in the middle of anything, nor because during the birth of the children the midwife is helping the wife as an opposed to the husband. The word wife predates an association with being married or unmarried. MAIN PROBLEM Midwifery is related to the indigenous knowledge system because it has been practiced by our foremother and it has been passed from generation to generation, from mothers to their daughter's. Even today in the village called Maseohatse, in Northern Cape, they still using this method, because the clinic is 8 to 10 km …show more content…
Traditional midwifery it has been practiced by our grandmothers and it has been passed from generation to generation, through our tribe. Traditional midwifery is the art and practice of providing natural and holistic childbirth-related health care. It includes techniques that have been passed down through the centuries, as well as modern, innovative techniques that are consistent with long-standing principles of midwifery. These midwives are women helping women in honesty, kindness, gentleness, and understanding. They respect the preferences and desires of the women and families who request their services and encourage the active involvement of family members in the child-bearing process. In everything these midwives do, they promote respect for women and the sanctity of motherhood, family, and
Midwives knew what the soon to be mother was going through. Martha Ballard gave birth to five children, therefore had the experience. A disadvantage of midwifery was that they couldn’t do anything when there were complications with childbirth. A physician was needed in these situations. A advantage of the new male physicians was their new tools, such as the forceps, and their medicine.
Childbirth was a very important aspect in colonial life. The amount of children a family economy had was the resulting factor of the family’s success. Therefore, childbirth was a sacred event that happened very often. This was performed by the midwives and women servants only. Men were not allowed to take part in this event.
Historical Fiction Novel Analysis The novel The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman is about a 13 year old girl called Brat who has not found her place in society until she meets Jane the Midwife. Brat undergoes several identity changes when she changes her name from Brat to Beetle then eventually to Alyce. This novel is set in a small village in England during the 14th century. Brat was accustomed to the lifestyle of sleeping in dung heaps and traveling on foot from village to village begging for her next meal.
Midwives play an imperitive role when advising women on their care an it is exceptionally important to liase our information in a professional form. Guaranteeing the information is non-biased and informative allowing the women to have control on her decision making (NMC 2017). A quantitive research by Beglry (2010) agress that women who are in our care are to be considered as partners when deciding their plan of care. Within our role a professional relationship is central and women trust midwives deeply. I have found asking open-ended questions promotes and encoursges women to actively take part in the decision making.
For them to have someone to talk to, to get things off their chest and to help heal themselves. Registered midwives and nurse practitioners will be working in the wellness center area where clients can go in and get answers of their health. The midwives will be assigned to pregnant clients that are soon to be a mother.
Chapter 16 of Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman begins during a warm, thundery evening. Alyce is working at the inn when a couple of importance arrives with their attendants, but they don’t want any service. The man only wants someone who can cure the stomach worm in his wife’s stomach. However, the stomach worm turns out to be a baby who is about to be delivered, as the inn keeper’s wife, Jenette states. The man doesn’t believe it at first, but soon accepts the fact that his wife will give birth and asks for help.
Laurel Ulrich’s A Midwifes Tale is a book over Marth Ballard who was a New England women living in America. Ulrich uses Marth Ballard diary entries along with other historical documents from the eighteenth century to show her audience the life of women specifically a midwife in the American society, and the sexual standards that were present during the eighteenth century. Martha Ballard the wife of Ephraim Ballard was midwife during the eighteenth century in Hallowell, who not only played the role of a midwife in the society, but also the role of a wife and a mother. Ulrich starts to book by talking about scarlet fever epidemic that had taken places in Hallowell during the summer of 1787. During the time of the fever and after the epidemic had ended, Martha played the role of an important member in the community, even though the social structure in Hallowell was giving more importance to male doctors.
A MIDWIFE’S TALE, A HISTORY OF JONATHAN ALDER, and VOICES FROM SLAVERY all give insight into the past. Specifically the past of different groups of people, these include, Native Americans, African Americans, women, rich, middle class, and working white men. While they all give insight into the past of these groups they all have their similarities and differences, strengths and weaknesses. After analyzing what each book says about these groups the conclusion of which book is most trustworthy will be made.
In the last ten years, more and more women are going the home-birthing route because it is safer and more natural. This can be seen as a mini revolt against the stigmatized and dehumanized view of mothers and birth. Using a midwife and having a home birth allows for the body to naturally go into labor, a labor that could last hours or even days. The female body is designed to naturally produce oxytocin, a hormone that causes labor. In this process, a mother goes through contractions where the baby is turning around so they are facing head first.
Sethe embraces the dominant values of idealised maternity. Sethe’s fantasy is
“What a man can be, he must be,” is a quote by Dr. Abraham Maslow in the book Motivation and Personality, which talked about a hierarchical pyramid of human needs. It means, such as, if a girl wants to be a midwife, she must be a midwife, like in the book The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman. The main character, Alyce, wants to find a place in the world by becoming a midwife, and it is the most important thing to her. However, her age and gender affect the conflict.
Midwives handled most matters of gynecology. Although male doctors had more theoretical knowledge about female genitalia, midwives had more practical knowledge, so most male physicians left gynecology to them. Midwives are most notably known for assisting women in birth. They handled everything from prenatal care to “baby-catching”, or the actual birthing process, to cutting the umbilical cord. Some midwives were even known to perform cesarean sections by the Late Middle Ages.
Unlike doctors that only have one agenda when it comes to a woman giving birth, midwives provide women with individualized care uniquely suited to their physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and cultural needs. In the course of developing that relationship, midwives provide personalized and thorough care at many levels that empowers the soon-to-be mother in her ability to give birth and care for her baby. The maternity care practiced should be based on the needs of the mother and child and not the caregiver or provider; therefore, interventions should be avoided with the natural birthing process unless complications arise. Until 1940, midwives used to deliver most babies; however, there was a cultural and social shift that made women believe that the hospital provided a safer, pain-free birth without risks of hemorrhage, infection or death (Connerton). This movement has “grappled with economic, political, religious and racial differences” (Craven).
It is through these principles of Partnership, Protection, and participation that allow Maori to practice traditional methods in terms of health (McKinney & Smith, 2005, p.48-49). Carrying-out research around midwifery partnership I have gained a clearer insight into the importance of the relationship between women and midwives and can assert that partnership can be pinned to the code of ethics which state examples of a midwife's responsibilities to the women, wider community, colleagues and profession. Through these theoretical concepts, a midwife is able to create, maintain, and enhance relationships through trust and empowerment. In conclusion, this essay provided and understanding of the scope of practice and its relevance to the midwifery profession as well as, the roles in how midwifery is regulated and supported by the Midwifery Council of New Zealand and The New Zealand College of Midwives.
The arrival of a new baby, especially the first always marks a new beginning for a mother. It comes with a lot of challenges more so if the mother is less knowledgeable about baby care. Take such as cleaning the baby for the first time, or feeding, it is not easy. The baby is still fragile and slippery and needs a special care. But if the mother is not ready for all these, or maybe, does not have any knowledge on what to do, the baby’s life might be endangered since the baby needs a special care which only the mother can give.