Our Midwife Assistant class meets for two consecutive days from 10 am to 5 pm.
In this class, you will learn the skills you will need to be an effective and professional Midwife Assistant, assisting Licensed or Certified Nurse Midwives in home or birth center (out of hospital) deliveries.
In addition to this training, Midwife Assistants need to take courses in Neonatal Resuscitation, CPR, and bloodborne pathogens.
This class covers:
- The Role of the Midwife Assistant
- Setting Up the Birth Space
- Midwifery Terminology
- Practical Skills
- Vital Signs and Charting
- Normal Birth
- Birth Emergencies
- Postpartum Needs and Services
What is a Midwife Assistant?
A midwife assistant is a trained birth professional who assists and supports Midwives in a Community Birth (out of hospital) setting. They are also referred to as “birth assistants”.
Midwife Assistants (MAs) attend births with a Licensed or Certified Nurse Midwife at either the client’s home or at a licensed free standing birth center. The Midwife Assistant’s primary role at a birth is to assist the Midwife, under supervision, in whatever capacity the Midwife needs from her. Midwife Assistants usually do the majority of the charting during the labor and birth which allows for the midwife and the student midwife to focus on the mom and baby.
Midwife Assistants also provide a variety of supervised support services at births such as: check fetal heart tones, check vital signs on mom and baby, keep the birth room clean and organized, make sure all the equipment is stocked and sterilized, provide assistance in emergency situations, assist in IV and meds set up and many other tasks and supportive procedures. Midwife Assistants may also be responsible for housekeeping duties to ensure cleanliness and readiness for the next family’s birth.