The midwifery profession: roles, skills and training

At the heart of one of life’s most important moments, the midwife accompanies expectant mothers on their journey from pregnancy to birth. More than just a medical profession, it requires a unique balance between technical expertise and human qualities. Together, let's get to grips with the details of this essential profession.

What is a midwife?

Defining the midwifery profession

The midwife is a health professional specialized in pregnancy monitoring, childbirth and postnatal care. In support of the gynaecologist, she provides medical supervision of normal pregnancy, childbirth and its aftermath. Its role also extends to women's gynaecological health throughout their lives, from adolescence to midlife.

Rôle and main responsibilities

The midwife occupies a central position in the maternity pathway. She is authorized to carry out pregnancy follow-up consultations, perform screening ultrasounds, prescribe the necessary tests and detect any complications requiring medical attention. It also plays a crucial role in health education and parenting. It has somewhat the same rôle as that of the métier de pédiatre or the métier de médecin généraliste.

The skills and qualities required to be a midwife

The field of midwifery expertise is highly sensitive. It therefore requires particular qualities, which are valued by job offers for midwives, which we can group together as follows: 

Medical and technical skills

• Maîtrise of anatomy and physiology: to understand the pregnancy process and détect abnormalities.
• Expertise in fetal surveillance: to monitor the development of the baby and prevent complications.
• Practice of emergency gestures : to react quickly in critical situations during childbirth.
• Knowledge of obstructive drugs: to manage pain and complications appropriately.
• Maîtrise des équipements médicaux : pour réaliser les examens et suivre les constantes vitales.

Interpersonal skills

• Empathy : to understand and support future mères emotionally.
• Pédagogy: to clearly explain medical procedures and reassure patients.
• Clear communication : to effectively convey information to parents and the medical team.
• Écoute active: to identify patients' needs and concerns.
• Patience : for serene support during pregnancy and childbirth.

Situational management skills

• Cool-bloodedness
• Fast decision-making ability
• Organization
• Adaptability
• Teamwork

Training to become a midwife

The course of study in maïeutics

The training to become a midwife takes five years after the baccalaureate. It begins with a first year in PASS or L.AS, followed by four years in a maieutics school. The curriculum alternates between in-depth theoretical instruction and periods of practical training. Students acquire cutting-edge medical knowledge and learn the technical skills essential to the profession.

If you would like to learn more about this aspect of the profession, find our fiche études sage-femme.

Diplômes and possible spécialisation

Training leads to the diplôme d'État de sage-femme. Professionals can then enrich their practice with specializations in ultrasound, acupuncture or homeopathy. Complementary training courses also enable the development of specific skills according to the professional direction chosen.

The missions of a midwife

• Pregnancy monitoring: the midwife provides monthly prenatal consultations during which she monitors fetal development, performs clinical examinations and detects any complications. She is empowered to prescribe necessary examinations such as blood tests, ultrasound scans and tracking tests. An important part of her mission is to lead pre-natal sessions, where she informs and prepares future parents. She also provides essential advice on nutrition, hygiene and appropriate lifestyle during pregnancy.
• Accompaniment during childbirth : at the heart of her métier, the midwife supervises labor by carefully monitoring contractions and fœtal heart rate. She accompanies the parturient throughout the birth, providing both emotional support and medical safety. Pain management is an integral part of her skills, which she offers through both natural and medical methods. She coordinates the care team and knows how to recognize situations requiring the intervention of a physician.
• Post-natal follow-up: after the birth, the midwife monitors the post-natal period and provides first aid to the newborn. She plays a crucial role in breastfeeding, providing technical advice and support in the face of any difficulties encountered. Breastfeeding education is also part of her remit. She may make home visits to monitor the progress of the mother and baby.
• Prévention and education: in addition to pregnancy monitoring, the midwife provides gyneacological consultations on prevention and contraception. She performs screening tests such as Pap smears, and takes part in the early detection of pathologies. Its role is to provide information on sexuality and contraception. She also accompanies new parents as they learn to care for their newborn and supports them in their new role.

Working conditions and future prospects

Working hours and rhythm of a midwife

The midwifery profession is characterized by a particularly demanding work rhythm that requires a solid capacity for adaptation. Professionals work twelve- or twenty-four-hour shifts, depending on the establishment and the type of practice chosen. Since births are unpredictable, midwives' shifts involve regular night work, as well as attendance at weekends and on public holidays.

The organization of working hours varies considerably depending on the environment. In hospitals, midwives generally alternate between 12-hour days (day or night) and periods of rest. The schedule is generally drawn up several weeks in advance, but can be modified according to the needs of the department. When working on a freelance basis, the midwife has more control over her schedule, but must still be available to her patients, especially for home births or birth centers.

The profession of midwiferytherefore requires excellent management of biological rhythm, as night shifts are éproving. Midwives need to keep their vigilance and decision-making skills intact, even after several hours' work. What's more, managing imprecision is an integral part of the job: childbirth can occur at any time, requiring rapid reorganization of the schedule.

For more information, browse our schedule midwife.

The different places of practice: hôpital, libéral, clinique

Midwives can practice in a variety of professional settings, each with its own specific characteristics:

• Public or private maternity hospitals : in hospitals and clinics, midwives work in a highly medicalized environment, in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams (obstetricians, anesthetists, pediatricians, childcare assistants). They benefit from a full range of technical equipment and the safety of a team in the event of complications. Maternity units are classified into three levels according to their ability to handle pregnancies of varying degrees of risk, offering a variety of working environments.
• Libre practices: free practice offers greater autonomy and personalized patient care. Midwives mainly provide pre-natal consultations, pre-natal care, post-natal follow-up and prenatal education. Some also offer home births, a practice that remains relatively rare in France, but which is meeting a growing demand.
• Les centers de protection maternelle et infantile (PMI): in these preventive structures, midwives play a crucial role with vulnerable populations. They provide preventive care, health education and medical and social follow-up. This framework of practice enables them to work in network with social services and take a global approach to maternal and child health.
• Les maisons de naissance: these structures, more recent in the French landscape, offer a less medicalized setting for physiological childbirth. The midwives work in a very autonomous way, while being attached to a partner maternity hospital. They provide comprehensive care, from pregnancy to post-partum, with a physiologically-centered approach.
• Training institutions: some midwives choose to pass on their expertise by becoming maïeutics school teachers. They participate in the theoretical and practical training of future professionals, while often maintaining a partial clinical activity.

Évolution de carrière et spécialisation

Professional development opportunities are numerous, enabling midwives to develop their careers according to their areas of interest:

• L'installation en cabinet libéral: this development requires prior hospital experience and management skills. It enables the development of a more autonomous practice and the building of a privileged relationship with patients over the long term. Freelance midwives can also specialize in certain areas, such as pediatric education or comprehensive support.
• Specialization in eacute;chography, acupuncture or homeopathy: these complementary training courses enable us to broaden our field of expertise and offer more diversified care.
• L'enseignement en école de maïeutique : cette orientation vers la formation nécessite souvent un diplôme universitaire complémentaire. Teachers are involved in the initial training of students, as well as in the ongoing training of professionals.
• Team coordination in a healthcare establishment: experience and management skills can lead to positions as midwife coordinator or midwifery manager. These positions involve team management, service organization and participation in facility projects. Some progress to care management positions.
• Research in périnatalité: the development of research in maéeutics opens up new perspectives. Midwives can get involved in clinical research projects, take part in multicenter studies or develop their own lines of research, thus contributing to the evolution of professional practices.

As you can see, the carriage of midwiferyrepresents much more than just a medical profession. It's a commitment to women and families, requiring both technical expertise and exceptional human qualities. This constantly evolving profession offers numerous opportunities for professional and personal development.

Did you like this article and want to learn more? Find our salary sheet midwife échographist.