Being a midwife or doing midwifery?

Area of Science:

• Midwifery Studies
• Philosophy of Science
• Professional Ethics

Background:

• The midwifery profession risks losing its core 'with women' focus by adopting a techno-rational, problem-solving approach.
• The Australian College of Midwives (ACMI) philosophy emphasizes 'being with' women as foundational to midwifery practice.
• Current ACMI Professional Standards lack a specific competency for 'being with' women, subsuming all care under problem-solving.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for the integration of the 'being with' women philosophy into midwifery professional standards and competencies.
• To critique the over-generalization of problem-solving frameworks in midwifery care.
• To propose a shift from a techno-rational model back to a relational model in midwifery practice.

Main Methods:

• Philosophical analysis of current midwifery practice frameworks.
• Critique of the techno-rational and problem-solving paradigms in healthcare.
• Argumentative essay based on professional standards and philosophical principles.

Main Results:

• The current problem-solving approach in midwifery is a manifestation of modernist, techno-rational science.
• Applying problem-solving to all aspects of midwifery care inappropriately 'problematizes' the birthing experience.
• The absence of a 'being with' women competency in professional standards deviates from the ACMI philosophy.

Conclusions:

• Midwifery practice should re-center on the philosophy of 'being with' women.
• Professional standards and competencies need revision to include 'being with' women as a core practice.
• A move away from an over-reliance on problem-solving is necessary to honor the foundational philosophy of midwifery.