Midwives
SOC: 29-9099.01

Description:

Provide prenatal care and childbirth assistance.

National Salary Information:

Hourly Statistics:

Annual Statistics:

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2015 wage data.

Employment Projections:

Employment (2014):
44,200 employed

Projected (2024):
50,300 employed

Projected growth (2014-2024)


Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2015 2014-2024 employment projections external site. "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2014-2024). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Alternate Titles:

  • Certified Midwife
  • Certified Professional Midwife
  • Certified Professional Midwife, Licensed Midwife
  • Direct-Entry Midwife
  • Director of Midwifery/Staff Midwife
  • Homebirth Midwife
  • Lay Midwife
  • Licensed and Certified Midwife
  • Licensed Direct Entry Midwife
  • Licensed Midwife
  • Licensed Midwife, Certified Professional Midwife
  • Midwife
  • Midwife and Birth Center Owner
  • Staff Midwife
  • Staff Midwife at Birth Center, Certified Professional Midwife, Licensed Midwife
  • Staff Midwife/Apprenticeship Director

    • Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

    Experience:

    A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

    Education:

    Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

    Job Training:

    Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

    Required Skills:

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Writing
  • Speaking
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Learning
  • Learning Strategies
  • Monitoring
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Coordination
  • Persuasion
  • Negotiation
  • Instructing
  • Service Orientation
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Operations Analysis
  • Technology Design
  • Equipment Selection
  • Programming
  • Operation Monitoring
  • Operation and Control
  • Troubleshooting
  • Quality Control Analysis
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Systems Analysis
  • Systems Evaluation
  • Time Management
  • Management of Financial Resources
  • Management of Material Resources
  • Management of Personnel Resources

    • Knowledge Used:

  • Administration and Management
  • Clerical
  • Economics and Accounting
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Personnel and Human Resources
  • Production and Processing
  • Food Production
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Design
  • Mechanical
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Biology
  • Psychology
  • Sociology and Anthropology
  • Geography
  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Therapy and Counseling
  • Education and Training
  • English Language
  • Foreign Language
  • History and Archeology
  • Philosophy and Theology
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Law and Government
  • Telecommunications
  • Communications and Media
  • Transportation

    • Tasks:

  • Assist maternal patients to find physical positions that will facilitate childbirth.
  • Monitor maternal condition during labor by checking vital signs, monitoring uterine contractions, or performing physical examinations.
  • Provide comfort and relaxation measures for mothers in labor through interventions such as massage, breathing techniques, hydrotherapy, and music.
  • Set up or monitor the administration of oxygen or medications.
  • Assess birthing environments to ensure cleanliness, safety, and the availability of appropriate supplies.
  • Assess the status of post-date pregnancies to determine treatments and interventions.
  • Collect specimens for use in laboratory tests.
  • Conduct ongoing prenatal health assessments, tracking changes in physical and emotional health.
  • Develop, implement, or evaluate individualized plans for midwifery care.
  • Establish and follow emergency or contingency plans for mothers and newborns.
  • Estimate patients' due dates and re-evaluate as necessary based on examination results.
  • Evaluate patients' laboratory and medical records, requesting assistance from other practitioners when necessary.
  • Respond to breech birth presentations by applying methods such as exercises and external version.
  • Identify, monitor, or treat pregnancy-related problems such as hypertension, gestational diabetes, pre-term labor, and retarded fetal growth.
  • Identify tubal and ectopic pregnancies and refer patients for treatments.
  • Inform patients of how to prepare and supply birth sites.
  • Monitor fetal growth and well-being through heartbeat detection, body measurement, and palpation.
  • Maintain documentation of all patients' contacts, reviewing and updating records as necessary.
  • Obtain complete health and medical histories from patients including medical, surgical, reproductive, or mental health histories.
  • Perform post-partum health assessments of mothers and babies at regular intervals.
  • Provide information about the physical and emotional processes involved in the pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum periods.
  • Provide necessary medical care for infants at birth, including emergency care such as resuscitation.
  • Provide, or refer patients to other providers for, education or counseling on topics such as genetic testing, newborn care, contraception, and breastfeeding.
  • Refer patients to specialists for procedures such as ultrasounds and biophysical profiles.
  • Suture perineal lacerations.
  • Test patients' hemoglobin, hematocrit, and blood glucose levels.
  • Compile and evaluate clinical practice statistics.
  • Complete birth certificates.
  • Counsel women regarding the nutritional requirements of pregnancy.
  • Collaborate in research studies.
  • Incorporate research findings into practice as appropriate.
  • Provide information about community health and social resources.
  • Provide postpartum patients with contraceptive and family planning information.
  • Recommend the use of vitamin and mineral supplements to enhance the health of patients and children.
  • Treat patients' symptoms with alternative health care methods such as herbs and hydrotherapy.

    • Tools & Technology:

  • Automated blood pressure cuffs
  • Automated external defibrillators AED
  • Baby scales
  • Bedpans
  • Blood drawing syringes
  • Blood glucometers
  • Desktop computers
  • Digital medical thermometers
  • Episiotomy scissors
  • Evacuated blood collection tubes
  • External fetal monitors
  • Fetal doppler units
  • Hemostats
  • Hypodermic syringes
  • Intravenous IV sets
  • Laptop computers
  • Manual blood pressure cuffs
  • Mechanical intermittent positive pressure ventilators
  • Mechanical stethoscopes
  • Medical examination protective gloves
  • Medical measuring tapes
  • Medical scales
  • Mosquito forceps
  • Nasal syringes
  • Oxygen cylinders
  • Oxygen delivery masks
  • Personal computers
  • Reflex hammers
  • Sterile blood lancets
  • Straight needle holders
  • Surgical scissors
  • Surgical tissue forceps
  • Suture kits
  • Therapeutic cold packs
  • Therapeutic hot packs
  • Trancutaneous electrical nerve stimulation TENS units
  • Ultrasound imaging scanners
  • Umbilical cord clamps
  • Umbilical cord scissors
  • Urinalysis test strips
  • Urinary catheters
  • Vaginal exam specula
  • Email software
  • MEDITECH software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
  • Patient electronic medical record EMR software
  • Private Practice
  • Web browser software

    • healthcare practitioners and technical

    industry stats

    SOC: 29-0000

    Total Employed: 8,021,800

    Average Annual Salary: $77,800