ABSTRACT
For most of human history, midwives have been the primary attendants at childbirth; midwifery is clearly one of the oldest occupations held by women. The term midwife means "with woman," illustrating exactly what midwives do and have done for centuries: They are with women during labor, the birth of the baby, and immediately following birth. Midwives also provide care and guidance during pregnancy, and some midwives are increasingly performing other women's health services, such as routine gynecological care and contraceptive advice. Attendance at childbirth, however, is the most common work that midwives have traditionally done.
