ABSTRACT
Midwifery is the art and science of caring for women during pregnancy and childbirth and caring for the new mother and baby during the first weeks of the newborn's life. Midwifery is an ancient practice common to most cultures around the world. The effectiveness of contemporary midwifery in providing safe care with low rates of intervention is well documented internationally. In some parts of North America and the Third World, midwifery is not legally recognized and may be illegal. In Holland, where midwifery and home birth are an accepted part of the health care system, the rate is 6 percent with equal or superior outcomes in terms of perinatal mortality. In many parts of North America where midwifery practice had virtually disappeared, an underground of lay practitioners evolved to meet the need for alternatives to institutionalized childbirth. This underground has developed into a popular social movement seeking the recognition of autonomous, community-based midwifery practice.
