Midwifery Education
The portrait of a colonial midwife that emerged was that of the poor immigrant, or black woman who was empirically trained and enjoyed little occupational prestige or professional identity. Isolated from each other by poverty, geography, and language barriers, midwives lacked the resources with which to stand up to their critics. Midwives believed in letting nature take its course during delivery and its training was to attend different deliveries. However, formal training did not exist for the midwife until the 20th Century.
Doctors went to school to learn how to use forceps, pain killing drugs, and to learn other techniques referred to as "NEW" obstetrics. Doctors also believed in separating the newborn baby from its mother.
Throughout history, doctors have not had a good working relationship with midwives. Both professions were competing for the same pool of patients. We have examined the history of midwifery in the US emphasizing its role and the relationships between midwives and physicians.
Here are some sites about various midwife training programs you might find interesting.
ACNM Certification Council, Inc (ACC)
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Council on Naturopathic Medical Education
School of Nursing Nurse Midwifery Program
School of Nursing Women's Health Care Needs Nurse Practitioner Program