Midwifery Practice: Botswana Perspective

Abstract

Midwifery practice is a health service provided to the childbearing families. The discipline aims to ensure best possible well-being of child-bearing women and their families to lower the maternal, perinatal, and neonatal morbidities and mortalities. It has existed as long as human existence. In the old days, the elderly women were key players in the provision of care during pregnancy, labour, childbirth and postpartum. They were no formal training, instead their practices were based on experience and orientation to cultural practice. The history of midwifery is based as follows: 1. Informal and formal training of midwives 2. Regulations of midwifery practice 3. Scope of midwifery practice 4. Successes of midwifery practice. The challenges faced by the midwifery practice were identified as 1. Increasing maternal mortality ratio 2. Shortage of resources.3. Lack of midwifery professional association and 4. Professional restrictions on midwives’ private practice. Implications for midwifery practice: This calls for Paucity of research related to midwifery practice and Review policy for training of midwives.