Knowra Midwifery Midwifery Midwifery is the healthcare profession focused on pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum care, and newborn health. Midwives provide clinical care, support normal birth, and identify when additional medical care is needed.
Prenatal care : Healthcare provided during pregnancy to monitor health, support development, and identify complications. Midwives provide ongoing assessments, counseling, and screening throughout pregnancy.
Continuity of care : A care approach in which a person receives coordinated, ongoing support from familiar clinicians over time. An ongoing relationship can connect prenatal, birth, and postpartum care.
Midwife : A trained healthcare professional who provides care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. The profession is practiced by individual clinicians with varied credentials and roles.
Certified nurse-midwife : A US advanced practice registered nurse educated in both nursing and midwifery and certified by a professional board. This credential combines nursing and midwifery preparation within one US pathway.
Midwife-led care : Maternity care in which midwives serve as the primary providers for people with uncomplicated pregnancies. It makes midwives' coordinating role explicit for low-risk maternity care.
Labor and delivery : The process of labor and birth, including clinical support for the birthing person and newborn. Attending labor and birth is a central part of midwifery practice.
Risk assessment : The process of estimating the likelihood and potential impact of health problems. Midwives assess changing maternal and fetal risks to guide care decisions.
Obstetrics : The medical specialty concerned with pregnancy, childbirth, and the period after birth. Midwives often coordinate care with obstetric clinicians, especially for complications.
Certified midwife : A US midwifery professional credential for graduates of accredited midwifery programs who are not required to hold a nursing license. This pathway differs from nurse-midwifery while sharing a national certification framework.
Respectful maternity care : Maternity care that preserves dignity, privacy, informed choice, and freedom from mistreatment. Midwifery practice is closely connected to person-centered standards during birth.
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