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Midwife
As fully qualified healthcare professionals, midwives support women before, during, and after childbirth. They provide pregnancy follow-up, perform deliveries when everything is progressing normally, and monitor both the newborn’s health and the mother’s well-being.
Missions: Midwife
Midwives are involved at every stage of maternity care. Their role is not limited to childbirth: they provide comprehensive medical follow-up, from pregnancy through the weeks following birth.
Medical monitoring during pregnancy
When a pregnancy is progressing normally, a midwife can provide the full range of prenatal care. They conduct consultations, prescribe the necessary tests, monitor the progress of the pregnancy, and answer the questions of expectant parents.
They also play a key role in birth preparation. These sessions help parents anticipate how labor and delivery will unfold, understand the different stages of labor, and prepare for the baby’s arrival.
Support during childbirth
In maternity wards, midwives manage uncomplicated deliveries. They monitor labor, support the mother throughout contractions, and deliver the baby.
They also provide the newborn’s first care and ensure the mother remains stable after birth. If a medical complication arises, they work in coordination with an obstetrician.
Postnatal follow-up
Their role continues after childbirth. They check the mother’s recovery, monitor the infant’s health, and support breastfeeding.
Some midwives provide home visits in the days following discharge from the maternity ward to ensure personalized follow-up.
Prevention and gynecological care
Outside of pregnancy, midwives can also provide preventive gynecological care. They carry out consultations, prescribe contraception, perform screening tests, and support women at different stages of life.
Researched profile
- A strong scientific foundation: a solid understanding of medical and biological subjects is essential to monitor pregnancies and provide care safely.
- An excellent interpersonal approach: midwives support patients during intense moments. Listening skills, kindness, and the ability to reassure are central.
- Calmness and responsiveness: in the delivery room, situations can evolve quickly. The ability to stay calm and make fast decisions is crucial.
- A strong sense of responsibility: midwives practice a regulated medical profession. They must demonstrate rigor, autonomy, and a constant commitment to the safety of patients and newborns.
Skills and training
Practicing as a midwife requires much more than a diploma. Daily work demands both strong medical expertise and great personal stability.
From a technical standpoint, a midwife must be able to provide complete follow-up for an uncomplicated pregnancy, monitor labor, perform a delivery, and provide the newborn’s first care. They must be able to quickly interpret clinical signs, analyze test results, and identify a high-risk situation.
Decision-making ability is essential. In the delivery room, some situations can evolve within minutes. The midwife must remain calm, act with precision, and, when necessary, immediately alert the medical team.
Beyond medical skills, the relational dimension is central. Supporting a patient during pregnancy or childbirth requires listening, teaching skills, and empathy. A midwife must know how to reassure, clearly explain the procedures being performed, and build a climate of trust.
Finally, stamina and stress management are essential. Hours may be irregular, shifts can be long, and situations can be intense. The profession requires real adaptability and a strong sense of responsibility.
What studies are required to become a midwife?
Choosing to become a midwife means committing to a demanding path. The training is long, selective, and rooted in the medical field.
It all begins with a first year of health studies, through the PASS pathway or a degree program with a health option. This year is decisive: admission to midwifery schools depends on the results obtained. Selection is competitive because the number of places is limited.
Once admitted, students complete four additional years in a midwifery school. In total, this represents five years of study after high school.
The training combines theoretical courses and clinical placements. Very early on, students are exposed to real-life practice: prenatal consultations, delivery rooms, and postnatal follow-up. Placements play a major role in the curriculum because the profession is also learned through direct contact with patients and medical teams.
At the end of these five years, the State Diploma of Midwife is awarded. It allows graduates to practice in hospitals, clinics, or private practice, after registering with the professional regulatory body.
What is a midwife’s salary?
A midwife’s salary varies significantly depending on the sector, seniority, type of contract, and practice model (employee or self-employed/private practice):
In the public hospital system, pay is defined by a salary scale that increases with seniority and grade. At the beginning of their career, a midwife earns around €2,000 to €2,300 gross per month, with gradual increases based on step progression. With several years of experience, this amount can reach around €3,000 to €3,500 gross per month or more depending on grade and responsibilities.
In the private sector or in clinics, salaries may be slightly higher, especially if the institution offers shift allowances for on-call duty, nights, or weekends.
For a self-employed/private-practice midwife, income is more variable because it depends on the number of consultations, practice location, and patient base. Early in a career, earnings are often comparable to hospital salaries, but they may increase over time with a stable patient base.
Where do midwives work?
Midwives can work in different environments, depending on their career choices and practice model.
The majority work in maternity units, within a public hospital or a private clinic. They work in delivery rooms, prenatal consultations, or postnatal wards.
The work pace can be demanding, with night shifts, weekend shifts, or public holiday duty.
Some choose private practice. They may open their own office or share a practice with other healthcare professionals. They provide pregnancy follow-up consultations, birth preparation sessions, home visits after childbirth, and preventive gynecological care. Work organization is more autonomous, but it also involves managing the administrative side of the practice.
Midwives can also work in maternal and child health services (PMI), health centers, or take part in prevention and health education initiatives.
The choice of workplace influences the pace of work, the level of responsibility, and day-to-day working conditions.
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