Humanisation of childbirth: 6. Midwifery technology – midwifery practice for the humanisation of birth

Abstract

In this sixth article of the 19th Midwifery basics series on humanising birth, Elizabeth Newnham talks more about the concept of Midwifery technology – knowledge of the art and skill of midwifery – introduced in the fourth paper of the series. Given the wide-ranging public health problem of over-medicalisation, high intervention rates, and current trends of combating one intervention with yet another instead of looking back to physiology, it is vital that midwives continue collecting, sharing and researching midwifery knowledge and practice. Different to obstetric knowledge, or practice guidelines, midwifery knowledge needs to include knowledge of the ebbs and flows of birth physiology, of women’s experiences and of keeping out of the way of birth as much as knowing when to step in.