Midwifery: The Importance of Maternal Care and Support

Midwifery is a crucial aspect of maternal care and support, providing care and guidance to women throughout their pregnancy journey.

Pregnancy and childbirth are transformative experiences in the life of a woman and her family. Midwives play a vital role in providing care and support to women throughout their pregnancy journey. The Public Health Agency in Belfast recognizes the value of midwives as lead health professionals for uncomplicated pregnancies and the key co-ordinators for complex pregnancies.

Midwives work closely with a multidisciplinary team to ensure that women and their families have access to the necessary care and support. They collaborate with obstetricians, GPs, health visitors, maternity support workers, breast-feeding support workers, and social workers to provide holistic care that is tailored to the individual needs, risks, and circumstances of each woman.

Photo by Rebekah Vos 

The Public Health Agency emphasizes that every contact with a midwife counts in influencing and maximizing the health and wellbeing of women, babies, families, and communities throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period. Midwives contribute fully to the public health agenda in conjunction with multi-agency partners, service users, volunteers, and user groups.

Through partnership working, midwives strive to meet the challenges of reducing health inequalities by improving maternal and population health, ensuring the best start in life, and contributing to a healthy life expectancy. They deliver innovative, evidence-based, cost-effective, and high-quality care within multi-agency teams across hospital and community-based health and social care settings.

One of the core responsibilities of midwives is to facilitate a positive and life-enhancing transition to parenthood for women and their families. They achieve this by providing trusted support and personalized care that considers the individual needs, risk, and circumstances of each woman and her family. This collaborative approach empowers women and their partners to make informed decisions that promote their health and well-being.

However, not all pregnancies and births have positive outcomes. The Public Health Agency recognizes the need for sensitive, responsive bereavement services for those who experience poor outcomes. Midwives provide compassionate care and support to meet the needs of the grieving process and promote long-term health and well-being.

Midwifery plays an essential role in ensuring the health and well-being of women, babies, families, and communities. Midwives work closely with a multidisciplinary team to provide holistic care that is tailored to the individual needs, risks, and circumstances of each woman. They contribute to the public health agenda by reducing health inequalities, improving maternal and population health, ensuring the best start in life, and promoting a healthy life expectancy.

Midwives deliver innovative, evidence-based, cost-effective, and high-quality care within multi-agency teams across hospital and community-based health and social care settings. They facilitate a positive and life-enhancing transition to parenthood for women and their families by providing trusted support and personalized care. Midwives also provide sensitive, responsive bereavement services to meet the needs of those who experience poor outcomes and promote long-term health and well-being.

Overall, the Public Health Agency recognizes the invaluable contribution that midwives make to maternal care and support. Midwifery is a vital aspect of the health care system that helps ensure the well-being of women, babies, families, and communities throughout pregnancy, birth, and beyond.