Midwife Interpersonal Communication

Good Afternoon Tutor and fellow students,
A midwife is a health professional who specialises in pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, women’s reproductive health and newborn care. They are trained to recognise variations of the normal progress of labour and how to deal with abnormalities. A midwife not only has a role at birth but also during and after pregnancy, offering support and routine checks. To be able to successfully complete these roles, a midwife must have effective interpersonal and intercultural communication. This is vital as the communication between the midwife and the patient will determine how smoothly the pregnancy and birth will go.

During a patient’s pregnancy, a midwife will talk to the mother about her general health and
If wanted, they will administer an epidural to numb the waist down and insert a catheter. Usually an epidural is organised before birth, however some mothers may underestimate the pain and wish for one when they enter labour. This is when interpersonal communication is important as while the mother is experience immense pain she may struggle to stay calm and control her breathing. A midwife will ask the mother if she wishes for an epidural and then continue with the birth, guiding her breathing and helping her to relax. If there are complications at birth such as if the baby gets stuck or exits the birthing canal feet first, the midwives will seek extra medical assistance. This may stress the mother and cause more difficulties for not only the mother and midwives, but also for the baby. Communication can mean the difference between life and death and therefore the midwife must provide emotional support for the mother and explain any further needed procedures such as a caesarean or
Services for going home will be organised if needed and an appointment to see the family health nurse will be arranged for the first week after birth. If the mother has had an unfortunate traumatic birth, they may suffer from PTSD and it is the midwife’s duty to organise the help that the mother and or father need. If there has been another complication such as a still birth, the midwife must communicate with the mother and ask if she would like to see, touch or hold her baby as this can be a coping mechanism for most parents. If the parents are from a religious background the hospital will organise multi-faith representatives who can offer spiritual support. 6-8 weeks after the birth the midwives will organise for the parents to see a consultant obstetrician and possibly a bereavement midwife if they are not