Midwifery is one of the most rewarding but demanding professions you can work in, and many consider it to be a vocation rather than simply a job role. Through the developments in western medicine, being a midwife is now a very privileged role and the profession is widely respected.
More than just a profession, midwifery is a tradition that dates back centuries. Women have often been there not just to advise, but also to support other women through childbirth. As midwifery has developed new technologies and methods, it has also welcomed men into the profession.
However, the job isn’t easy, and there are as many ups as there are downs when working with expectant mothers and newborns, and complications can easily arise. It is a career that requires careful consideration before making any decisions. To help you along the way though, here are six great reasons why you should consider midwifery as a profession.
Different Employment Options
Working as a midwife offers a range of employment options that can suit different lifestyles and personal commitments. With different employment options comes different levels of pay, and each midwife can choose their own path when it comes to their salary.
Some midwives prefer to be based in a hospital or clinic, whereas others work in a freelance capacity if they prefer to be able to move around. Freelance midwives have become a lot more popular in recent years as many expectant mothers are now seeking home and natural births.
While generally new midwives tend to start off in more established settings, such as hospitals, with more experience comes with the confidence needed to become self-employed.
The Opportunities are Endless
There are many different avenues you can go down when you are a midwife, as there is a lot more to it than just spending time with adorable newborns. Midwives can be responsible for fertility clinics, prenatal classes, post-partumsupport, and conception advice. The journey of having a baby doesn’t start or stop on the day of the birth, and it is the midwife’s job to be there every step of the way.
There are also many different opportunities of promotion for midwives through the completion of a further midwifery degree.This course provides additional learning and skills development through a detailedcurriculum that is based on birthing, preventive care, and gynecology.
Midwifery is a lot about learning what sort of work you are interested in the most, through experiencing the different branches of the profession.
You Get to Witness the Miracle of Birth Every Day
The miracle of birth is an amazing experience to witness, and it moves many people to tears the first time they see it. Therefore, when working as a midwife, not only do you get to be present for the unfolding of this miracle, you also get to help make it happen. Giving birth is one of the most important days of a woman’s life, but it can also be the most anxiety-provoking at the same time. Childbirth is an extremely painful and often long process, and it is a midwife’s job to make them feel guided and supported through the experience.
Similarly, while many births are happy occasions, some of them can end in upsetting circumstances where the baby or mother don’t survive. This is usually only a small percentage compared to the majority of safely delivered babies that take place around the world every day. But it can still happen, which means a midwife needs to be prepared for whatever comes their way.
Help New Mothers
Once the childbirth is over, and a woman has started to recover from being in labor, they can often start to worry about having the responsibility of such a vulnerable and small person whom they already love so much. From feeding them to bathing them, babies require lots of different things, and often new moms don’t know where to start.
This means that midwives get to help teach and advise new moms on how to best care for their babies and how to pick up on what they need. As a midwife, you get to impart your wisdom to new moms, as well as being witness to the initial few days of mother and baby bonding, which is a one of a kind experience that you do not get in any other profession.
Midwives Will Always Be Needed
Midwives in some capacity have always been around and this is unlikely to change any time soon. For populations to continue, women will be having babies, and thus midwives will be required. Based on research carried out in the US, women are choosing midwives more than ever before and birthing centers are becoming increasingly popular.
At this current time of economic strain and subsequent fiscal restraint, jobs are often being cut from different sectors, which is making people more concerned about which professions are needed the most to ensure that they are in a job role that is unlikely to be cut. If this sounds like something you are concerned about, then midwifery is a stable and in-demand career option that offers plenty of chances for development and promotions further up the healthcare industry ladder.
Be Part of Something Amazing
Working either as a freelance midwife or even within a birthing center or hospital, you become part of an amazing, friendly and lifechanging team. You are likely to make lifelong relationships with your colleagues as there is a significant sense of cohesion between midwives as you have all been through life changing experiences together.
You also get to be present at the most significant moments of women’s livesand help guide them through one of the most thrilling things they will ever experience.
Becoming a midwife is not an easy job.With long hours, demanding tasks and being responsible for the health and wellbeing of women and their newborns -it can a very challenging career choice. However, if you are considering midwifery, then you should remember that it is an experience like no other, where you can really have an impact everyday by bringing new people safely into the world.
Image Credits: Midwifery from megaflopp /Shutterstock