The younger midwives were particularly alarmed. This trend continued and it was with a shock that we realised that by the end of the 70s the rate of homebirth had halved and was at a very low level. This pleased the midwives as it improved their status and they could see more clients and thus earn more money. To remedy this situation is was decided that midwives should have access to the hospitals so they could bring the women in to give birth. A law had also been passed that required nurses and doctors to observe 15 births during their training and this created a problem as there were not enough births occurring in hospitals to meet the needs of these students. In those days being a midwife was very hard work and the pay was low, forcing the midwife to carry a large caseload in order to survive. The reason for this decline was twofold: the midwives themselves and their status as professionals, and the training needs of medical and nursing students. During that decade there was a staggering decline in the percentage of homebirth in Holland and by the late 70s when I graduated from midwifery school, it stood at 35%. In the beginning of the 1970s, the homebirth rate was around 70%. How have we achieved this status? What are the problems we have faced and what of the future? A brief history In Holland, midwives are totally autonomous. The system prevents midwives and obstetricians from behaving in ways that are bad for women and demands the best from all of us. Our country has a totally different culture and system that allows Dutch midwives to work as they do and this is not because our midwives or obstetricians are very different from elsewhere but because our approach enables women to get the best of both worlds. Q & A for Midwives in Private Practice FREEÄutch midwifery care is unique in the world.Childbirth and Parenting Education Workshops.
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