IHC: Introduction to Health Care - Midwifery Concepts (First Semester)

VOCABULARY flashcards covering key midwifery concepts from the notes.

Midwifery

Skilled, knowledgeable, and compassionate care for childbearing women, newborns, and families across the continuum from pre-pregnancy through postpartum and early life.

Midwife

A health professional specializing in the care of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and newborn care.

Antenatal care

Care provided to a pregnant woman before birth, including regular check-ups, fetal development monitoring, identifying high-risk pregnancies, prenatal education, and birth planning.

Postnatal care

Care and advice given within 6-8 weeks after delivery, including breastfeeding support, nutrition guidance, and newborn care.

Labour and birth

The process of childbirth during which the midwife monitors progress, supports the mother, and helps ensure a safe birth.

Neonatal care

Care of the newborn infant immediately after birth and during the early postnatal period.

Health Education

Delivery of information to expectant parents on nutrition, exercise, lifestyle, parenting, and family planning.

Rural Professional Midwives (RPMs)

Midwives in the Philippines who provide maternal health care, make life-saving referrals, provide primary care, and have expanded roles in the community.

Pre-pregnancy care

Health assessment and guidance provided before pregnancy to optimize outcomes.

General competencies (Category 1)

Core professional accountabilities of a midwife, including autonomous practice, self-care, supervision, research use, rights, laws, and communication.

Pre-pregnancy and Antenatal competencies (Category 2)

Competencies for health assessment, fetal well-being, pregnancy progression, anticipatory guidance, and care planning.

Care During Labor and Birth competencies (Category 3)

Competencies focused on promoting physiologic labor, safe birth, and immediate newborn care.

Ongoing Care of Women and Newborns competencies (Category 4)

Competencies for postpartum care, healthy newborn care, breastfeeding support, and family planning.

Confirming and dating pregnancy

Determining gestational age and dating the pregnancy.

Delivering the newborn and placenta

Assisting with birth of the baby and expulsion of the placenta.

Four Key Areas of a Midwife’s Responsibilities

Antenatal care, labour support, postnatal care, and health education.

Independent and direct specialized education

Education that enables midwifery as a medical profession with independent, direct specialized training.

Evidence-informed care

Care guided by research and evidence to inform practice.

Life-saving referrals

Prompt referrals for high-risk maternal cases to appropriate care.

Placenta

The organ delivered after the baby during birth.

Family planning services

Provision of contraception and guidance to help plan pregnancies.

Collaboration with neonatal nurses

Working with neonatal nurses to ensure optimal newborn care.

Breastfeeding promotion

Encouraging and supporting breastfeeding as part of postnatal care.

World Health Organization definition of midwifery

Skilled, knowledgeable and compassionate care for childbearing women, newborns and families across the continuum from pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and early life.

Role of the midwife in the health care industry

Providing evidence-informed care and helping women choose the birth setting based on informed preferences.