The International Day of the Midwife (May 5) is an occasion to celebrate and promote the profession of midwifery.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises midwives as the health professionals best able to deliver safe, cost effective maternity services to the majority of families.
A midwife is educated to give all necessary care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the newborn period and believe that childbirth is a normal and significant life event for women and their families.
IDM is an occasion for every individual midwife to think about the many others in the profession, to make new contacts within and outside midwifery and widen the knowledge of what midwives do for the world.
Ways to Celebrate
The aim of the day is to celebrate midwifery and to bring awareness of the importance of midwives work to as many people as possible. This is achieved in many different ways according to what works best in each country. Examples of ways in which midwifery associations mark the day include:
Organising a street parade and rally in a public place;
Setting up stalls in a market to publicise midwifery services and to offer information and advice;
Holding a meeting, workshop or conference to hear about new developments in midwifery and exchange news with other midwives in the region;
Arranging a religious service - often multi-denominational - to celebrate midwifery and safe childbirth;
Giving awards to individual or groups of midwives for special pieces of work;
Giving cards or small gifts to the mothers of babies born around IMD to remind them a midwife helped them out;
Decorating your workplace with balloons and posters - Be proud to be a midwife;
Put a short note on the meal trays of women in your unit just to let them know it is international midwives day, they can then help you celebrate;
In countries where midwifery is well established, raising money to help midwives overseas where extra resources are greatly needed (for example buying bicycles for midwives transport in remote areas, or sponsoring a midwife to attend an important conference); or
Some midwives just get together to talk, eat, drink, sing or dance, and generally give themselves a good time!
The Australian College of Midwives
The Australian College of Midwives is a national, not-for-profit organisation that serves as the peak professional body for midwives in Australia.
The College provides a unified political voice for the midwifery profession, supports midwives to reach their full potential, and sets professional practice and education standards.
The College is committed to be the leading organisation shaping Australian maternity care, to ensure the best possible maternity outcomes for all Australian women.
What does the College do?
We advocate for Midwives through:
Actively promoting Midwifery in the media and the community
Lobbying federal and state governments
Representing Midwives interests on all major policy committees
Preparing submissions to relevant government inquiries
Collaborating with other health professionals.
We support Midwives professional development through:
Setting national education standards
Organising national and state conferences where Midwives can hear the latest research and network with colleagues
Facilitating local workshops and seminars
Providing professional practice tools and publications
The International Day of the Midwife (May 5) is an occasion to celebrate and promote the profession of midwifery.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises midwives as the health professionals best able to deliver safe, cost effective maternity services to the majority of families.
A midwife is educated to give all necessary care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the newborn period and believe that childbirth is a normal and significant life event for women and their families.
IDM is an occasion for every individual midwife to think about the many others in the profession, to make new contacts within and outside midwifery and widen the knowledge of what midwives do for the world.
Ways to Celebrate
The aim of the day is to celebrate midwifery and to bring awareness of the importance of midwives work to as many people as possible. This is achieved in many different ways according to what works best in each country. Examples of ways in which midwifery associations mark the day include:
Organising a street parade and rally in a public place;
Setting up stalls in a market to publicise midwifery services and to offer information and advice;
Holding a meeting, workshop or conference to hear about new developments in midwifery and exchange news with other midwives in the region;
Arranging a religious service - often multi-denominational - to celebrate midwifery and safe childbirth;
Giving awards to individual or groups of midwives for special pieces of work;
Giving cards or small gifts to the mothers of babies born around IMD to remind them a midwife helped them out;
Decorating your workplace with balloons and posters - Be proud to be a midwife;
Put a short note on the meal trays of women in your unit just to let them know it is international midwives day, they can then help you celebrate;
In countries where midwifery is well established, raising money to help midwives overseas where extra resources are greatly needed (for example buying bicycles for midwives transport in remote areas, or sponsoring a midwife to attend an important conference); or
Some midwives just get together to talk, eat, drink, sing or dance, and generally give themselves a good time!
The Australian College of Midwives
The Australian College of Midwives is a national, not-for-profit organisation that serves as the peak professional body for midwives in Australia.
The College provides a unified political voice for the midwifery profession, supports midwives to reach their full potential, and sets professional practice and education standards.
The College is committed to be the leading organisation shaping Australian maternity care, to ensure the best possible maternity outcomes for all Australian women.
What does the College do?
We advocate for Midwives through:
Actively promoting Midwifery in the media and the community
Lobbying federal and state governments
Representing Midwives interests on all major policy committees
Preparing submissions to relevant government inquiries
Collaborating with other health professionals.
We support Midwives professional development through:
Setting national education standards
Organising national and state conferences where Midwives can hear the latest research and network with colleagues
Facilitating local workshops and seminars
Providing professional practice tools and publications
