Roles and missions of the midwife
Midwives are skilled and trained health professionals who are responsible for the health and well-being of mothers and newborns during and after pregnancy. They play an essential role in supporting and monitoring women throughout their pregnancy. The main duties and responsibilities of a midwife are as follows:
Carrying out clinical and antenatal examinations to monitor the health of the mother and the unborn child;
Support and provide information to women and their families during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding;
Assist and provide antenatal care to women and their babies during and after birth;
Offer education and counselling services in the fields of reproductive health, sexual health and nutrition;
Develop and implement care plans for mothers and newborns;
Carry out tests and analyses and share results with doctors and other health professionals;
Providing advice and information to women on contraception, breastfeeding and disease prevention;
Assess the needs of each mother and her social and family environment in order to develop personalised care plans;
Prevent and manage obstetric complications during pregnancy and childbirth;
Participate in research, training and professional development programmes, and in the development of practices to improve the health of mothers and newborns;
Collaborate with members of the health team to ensure appropriate and safe care.
Midwives play a key role in improving outcomes for the mother and her newborn.
Midwife salary and career development
A midwife's salary varies according to seniority and experience. On average in France, a junior midwife earns between €45,000 and €55,000 gross per year. Here are the changes in gross annual salary according to years of experience for a midwife:
0 to 2 years: between €45,000 and €55,000
2 to 5 years: between €55,000 and €65,000
5 to 10 years: between €65,000 and €75,000
10 to 15 years: between €75,000 and €85,000
More than 15 years: more than €85,000
In terms of career development, midwives can consider a number of different professions. For example, they could move into the following positions:
Head of obstetrics department ;
Health executive in gynaecology and obstetrics;
University professor and hospital practitioner;
Head of therapeutic education;
Professional practice coordinator.