In 1987, in the Netherlands, the International Association of Midwives adopted a decision to mark the professional holiday of midwives. However, this day (May 5) became an official holiday only in 1992. At present, this day is marked in over 50 countries including Russia. The main goal of this event lies in informing the society about the importance of midwives’ work and the necessity of their profession in medicine. An obstetrician cannot work without a competent and reliable assistant – midwife. Modern obstetrics is the most interesting of all medical professions dealing with the issues of human birth and early development stages. This profession requires versatile and profound knowledge in such areas of medicine as therapy, surgery, intensive care and neonatology. The importance of this profession can be hardly overestimated, as the life and health of both mother and baby often depend on the midwife, her experience, knowledge and skills. Midwives help women become mothers accompanying them from the moment of being taken to maternity clinic to ceremonial discharge from the hospital. Along with medical skills and abilities, the art of midwife’s work requires the ability to enlist trust and establish psychological rapport with the woman. Preparing the woman for maternity, accompanying her on the whole way of pregnancy and deliver her of a child constitute the most important mission of midwife!
Along with professional competencies, a midwife should be a compassionate, patient and kind-hearted person, as well as be able to show compassion and empathy toward the patients. It is these specialists that the physical and psychological health of mother and child depends upon, and therefore the one of all future generations.
Based on open sources.
Source of image in the text: International Midwife Day
Source of image on the homepage: International Midwife Day, newsletter.ru
