It’s National Midwifery Week

National Midwifery Week is October 4th – October 10th – “Midwives for every community”

Photo by Dexswaggerboy on Unsplash

According to Midwives Alliance North America, “Midwives are trained professionals with expertise and skills in supporting women to maintain healthy pregnancies and have optimal births and recoveries during the postpartum period.” Now that we have defined what a midwife is, why is this week important?

We highlight our doula services, but midwives are equally crucial to the pregnancy and birthing process. Special attention to equity and ethical care allows for more awareness around Black women’s racial disparities in the health care system.

Midwives don’t just positively impact pregnant women but their entire families by providing ease and comfort during the many different stages of pregnancy. To be a midwife is to be completely unselfish and compassionate.

Midwifery gives women access to equitable care that they may not otherwise receive due to causes beyond their control. Their approach to personalized care is much like a doula in which they consider each person’s life experiences. While many may look at this role as behind the scenes, midwives deserve the spotlight, which is why we celebrate midwifery this week.

If you’re thinking about what you can do to acknowledge your support system, midwife, or doula this week, you can share the benefits of obtaining this level of help. Whether you spread the word on your social media accounts or amongst your peers, informing people about the excellent work that midwives do will not only elevate their position in the community but will lead to more healthy pregnancy experiences.

This week is dedicated to midwives, but let’s continue to praise their work as much as possible. Their impact should never go unnoticed, so we recognize them and those in midwife-led care for all that they do.