What is the role of a midwife? We show you.

Whereas in earlier times a midwife was a frequent guest in a family due to several births in one household, nowadays most women give birth to fewer children. The special time of "becoming a parent" has therefore become more and more special. More and more women are being looked after by a midwife during this special time. During this wonderful time, the midwife becomes a person of reference and trust for all aspects of pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period.

However, many first-time mothers do not know exactly what a midwife does and who is the right contact person for questions about pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. We would therefore like to tell you more about us and our tasks.

How is a midwife trained and qualified?

Midwives are taught various basic subjects in a Bachelor's degree programme at a university of applied sciences. During internships in clinical and non-clinical settings, they acquire the practical skills required for the midwifery profession.

The midwifery degree programme provides practical, theoretical and scientific knowledge on the topics of family planning, pregnancy, birth, postpartum and breastfeeding. The full-time programme lasts 2 - 4 years, depending on previous training.

Midwives undergo continuous further training to ensure the quality of their work. The vast majority of midwives therefore have additional qualifications in other areas of obstetrics. For example in

• Traditional midwifery
• Aromatherapy
• Acupuncture
• Homeopathy
• Baby massage
• Manual therapy
• Birth preparation
• Postnatal and pelvic floor exercises
• Breastfeeding counselling and many other areas.

Counselling and prevention is an important task of the midwife

During your pregnancy, your midwife will answer your questions and give you tips on topics such as the following:

• Lifestyle of the expectant mother
• Exercise and nutrition during pregnancy
• Advantages and disadvantages of possible birth locations (at home, clinic, birth centre)
• The birth process
• The postnatal period
• Partnership and sexuality

A very important focus of the work is the medical care of the expectant mother and her unborn child. The midwife hands over the maternity pass and enters the following results of the medical check-ups in the pass:

• Weight of the pregnant woman and the unborn child
• Blood pressure
• Blood and urine values
• Position, growth and size of the unborn child
• Heart sounds
• Physical changes in the pregnant woman

If there are signs of deviations from a healthy pregnancy, the midwife will refer the pregnant woman to a gynaecologist or a specialised specialist and continue to care for the pregnant woman in cooperation. At the birth centre, a specialist at Bethesda Hospital can be consulted simply and easily if required.

In most cases, however, the pregnancy proceeds without complications. The midwife can then carry out all the legally recommended check-ups, including laboratory tests, without assistance. Only the ultrasound examinations must be carried out by a specially qualified doctor.

Tasks during labour preparation and birth

Many midwives have expanded their area of responsibility and offer additional services in addition to pure antenatal care, labour support and postnatal care.

• Birth preparation courses (you can find our extensive range here)
• Acupuncture
• Discussion groups where expectant mothers can meet, exchange ideas and ask questions in the presence of the midwife

Tasks during the puerperium and breastfeeding period

Immediately after the birth, the midwife monitors the health of the young mother and the newborn. She takes the necessary measures if something is not going well and supports the newborn's bond with its parents (bonding).

In the subsequent postpartum period, the midwife monitors the vital signs, the involution of the uterus, the healing process of any injuries to the perineum and the mother's breasts.

Our midwives are also in particular demand during the first few days after the birth. The midwife helps with caring for the baby and with latching on and breastfeeding.

And what does the health insurance fund pay for midwives' services?

As a rule, the statutory health insurance funds cover the following services:

• 7 check-ups with a midwife or doctor
• 3 ultrasound examinations
• CHF 150 towards a birth preparation course
• The costs of the birth (excl. extra services)
• 16 postnatal visits by the midwife for first-time mothers, 10 visits for multiple births
• 3 breastfeeding consultations during the entire breastfeeding period