Midwives on the Frontlines of a Pandemic BY SUSAN STONE, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN
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s we prepare to celebrate National Midwifery Week in the United States, it offers an opportunity to reflect on the last nine months and the effects of the international pandemic on childbearing women and on the practice of midwifery. Midwifery as practiced by certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives encompasses a full range of primary health care services from adolescence to beyond menopause including maternity care services. Midwives work in many settings including clinics, hospitals, birthing centers, and homes. Midwives pride themselves on working in partnership with women and their families to provide holistic care that includes health promotion, disease prevention, and individualized wellness and counseling.
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The term coronavirus or COVID-19 began to enter our consciousness in January of 2020, and by March 2020 we were deeply feeling the effects. Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as acute respiratory syndrome. COVID-19 is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. In the beginning of the pandemic, we were very much at a loss not understanding completely all the ways it could be transmitted, who would be affected, and how severe those effects would be. As many hospitals quickly became overloaded with very sick COVID-19 patients, maternity care providers including midwives were struggling to understand the best ways to assist and care for women giving birth. Over
Midwifery Week Special Issue | OCTOBER 2020
