Midwifery is a calling that places you at the center of life’s most pivotal moments. As a midwife, you’ll be providing care and guidance for expectant mothers through pregnancy, labor, and the early stages of parenthood.
As with other fields, shadowing in midwifery provides learning experiences and deepens your understanding of the profession. This exposure is also crucial in helping you assess whether a career in midwifery aligns with your personal goals and aspirations.
Why Consider Midwifery Shadowing?
The United States is currently facing a shortage of midwives; this creates a pressing need for new professionals in this field. According to 2023 research, there are only four midwives for every 1,000 live births—significantly lower than the average of 30 to 70 in other high-income countries.
If you’re considering a career in midwifery, shadowing offers an opportunity to explore this critical healthcare role. Observing the daily activities of local midwives, you get to:
- Confirm Your Career Choice: Gaining insights into how midwives apply their clinical skills and experience can either solidify your passion or make you think twice about pursuing a midwifery career.
- Gain Practical Insights: Discovering the challenges and rewards of midwifery prepares you for future training and practice.
- Further Enrich Your Career: Connecting with experienced midwives can open doors for mentorship and future opportunities.
- Enhance Your Application: Many midwifery programs value shadowing experience, as it reflects your commitment to understanding the field.
The path to a midwifery career begins with earning a health sciences-related bachelor’s degree. After that, you can pursue a midwifery education, obtain certifications, and complete a midwifery internship program. While shadowing provides initial exposure, internships offer deeper and more in-depth training for developing professional skills.
What Happens When You Shadow a Midwife?
Completing a midwifery shadowing program means you get to work with experienced professionals. They will show you the complexities involved before, during, and after delivery. You’ll learn the best practices in:
Managing Prenatal Appointments
You’ll observe how licensed midwives conduct health assessments, discuss birth plans, and address concerns raised by expectant mothers. You’ll likewise gain practical knowledge including interpreting fetal heart rate patterns and determining the baby’s position.
Labor and Delivery Room Procedures
Observing licensed midwives allows you to learn how they guide women through labor and delivery. These include techniques for managing labor pain, monitoring labor progression, and making decisions when complications arise.
Post-Partum Care
During your shadowing experience, you’ll gain insights on how to handle post-partum and newborn care. At this stage, you’ll learn how midwives monitor the baby’s health and ensure the mother’s recovery. They could also show you how to educate new parents and promote early breastfeeding effectively.
Throughout these experiences, you’re not just watching; you get to absorb valuable lessons that textbooks can’t provide. Simply put, shadowing lets you see how midwives apply their theoretical knowledge in real-world and sometimes stressful situations.
What Steps Should You Take?
The sooner you take shadowing opportunities, the better. Here’s how high school students and bachelor’s degree holders can get started:
Find Shadowing Opportunities
Contact or visit with birthing centers, local midwifery clinics, or hospitals that offer these services. Many healthcare facilities have shadowing programs, while others may be open to arranging individual experiences. If you find it challenging to find opportunities in your area, reach out to midwifery associations for guidance.
Prepare for Your Shadowing Experience
While you don’t need to have extensive experience, it helps to build your knowledge of maternal, post-partum, and newborn care. So, before your visit, familiarize yourself with fundamental concepts.
Also, when you arrive at the facility, inquire about the terms of your participation and seek to understand their approaches and specific practices. This preparation will allow for a more engaging and informative shadowing experience.
Make The Most Out of The Program
You’ll likely encounter different situations in the process. So, practice active observation to maximize your learning. Pay close attention to how midwives interact with clients, their clinical methods, and their decision-making processes. Learn how they handle challenging situations, too.
More importantly, reflect on your observations and focus on the lessons that resonate with you most. Don’t hesitate to seek clarity on issues that concern you. If you can, ask your mentor for debriefing sessions, especially after witnessing medical emergencies.
Adopt Ethical Practices
While it’s natural to empathize with patients, always maintain professionalism. As an observer, you shouldn’t get too involved emotionally or offer medical advice. Avoid being intrusive, and be prepared to leave if an individual isn’t comfortable with your presence.
Your role may give you access to sensitive medical information. So, practice confidentiality at all times, inside and outside the facility’s premises.
While shadowing can undoubtedly enrich a participant’s experience, it can also help enhance the quality of care in some settings. A 2023 UK study, for instance, revealed how shadowing physicians contributed to service improvements in a hospital. While this may not be applicable in all programs, it shows its potential benefits when done strategically.
Turning Shadowing into Future Opportunities
As your shadowing program comes to an end, think about how you can leverage your valuable experience. Here are some suggestions:
Request Feedback
Ask your supervising midwife for constructive feedback on your engagement. They can pinpoint your strengths and suggest skills and knowledge enhancements.
Seek a Letter of Recommendation
This isn’t mandatory, but you can include this in your application to increase your admission chances. In 2021, 853 students were actively pursuing a midwifery career, adding to the roster of 2,723 certified professional midwives (CPMs). On top of this, 3,195 students were completing their certified nurse-midwife (CNM) and certified midwife (CM) programs, adding to the list of 13,409 practitioners.
Stay Connected
Maintain professional relationships with midwives you’ve shadowed. They can be valuable mentors as you progress in your career.
Taking advantage of your experience prepares your transition from an observer to a practitioner. Shadowing also helps expand your knowledge and experience as you complete your midwifery internships in the future.
Final Thoughts About Shadowing a Midwife
Embarking on a midwifery career is a commitment to lifelong learning, compassionate care, and professional growth. Through shadowing, you can gain a valuable opportunity to explore this path. With it, you can understand the birthing process better, learn to anticipate potential complications, and gain confidence in a clinical setting.
Shadowing also exposes you to the lesser-known aspects of midwifery—the long hours, the emotional toll, and the administrative tasks. Gaining a realistic view of the profession can help you develop resilience and prepare you to take on the challenges in your future career.
