Midwives in Brazil: Education, regulation of practice and professional association

Abstract

The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) defined three pillars through which to strengthen midwifery worldwide. The present paper aims to describe how these three pillars-education, regulation and association-have progressed in Brazil. Following a brief overview of midwifery in Brazil and of the background behind the creation of the midwifery program at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the characteristics of midwifery training are described in detail, as well as the peculiarities of the regulations governing the profession of midwifery and the relevance of social movements and associations in the process of the inclusion of midwives into the labour market, in achieving social visibility and fostering consolidation of the profession in the country. Next, the reports of two midwives regarding their first years of work in different settings are presented as a means of characterizing maternal and perinatal healthcare in Brazil. In conclusion, midwifery training has a visionary nature that seeks to transform the current obstetric care model in Brazilian society both quantitatively and qualitatively.