Midwives are all about community! Each midwife comes from a community, works in a very special community of growing families, influences the development of society through her/his community involvement, and is part of a professional community too.  A Sensitive Midwife is one who understands this close connection to community and wishes to align herself/himself with these ten ‘I’m a Sensitive Midwife’ practice standards:

1. To at all times be a qualified and registered midwife/accoucheur/associated professional in South Africa, and to uphold all legal and professional requirements of my profession.
2. To practice evidence-based midwifery and maternity care but also never to neglect the important role of intuition in midwifery and maternity care, with the goal of authentic preventative practice.
3. To at all times be mindful of the importance of ‘sensitive’ care of pregnant and birthing women, mothers, babies and families, which has as its essence a gentle, emotionally intelligent, respectful, kind, woman-centred approach.
4. To take the client’s needs and preferences into account at all times and do everything possible to ensure they are realised.
5. To encourage and foster self-confidence in pregnant and birthing women, and mothers, at every interaction.
6. To acknowledge that tried-and-trusted, innovative midwifery and maternity care steps often yield profoundly positive effects and to implement these as first-line physiology-supportive practice, rather than routinely or too easily medicalising care.
7. To resist the temptation to be directive in midwifery and maternity care, favouring instead an acutely observant, silently supportive, responsive approach.
8. To at all times be truthful with the client, advocate for her, and respectfully but actively intercede with colleagues and authorities on her behalf if necessary.
9. To be an ambassador for midwifery and any other maternity care profession, by promoting excellent care in word and deed at every opportunity, with integrity.
10. To take seriously a commitment to ongoing professional development.

At Sensitive Midwifery, we understand the need to belong to a community of midwives. Midwives often work long and lonely hours, have to be self-reliant as they make weighty decisions, and render their care in circumstances that are not always ideal. Most midwives love their work but have many concerns about the state of midwifery in a highly medicalised health system which doesn’t always recognise the true value of authentic midwifery ways. Midwives want more natural, yet evidence-based, ways to be their default practice mode but need to find a support base to back up this desire.

This is why Sensitive Midwifery offers midwives and associated maternity professionals and facilities a range of membership options, aimed at supporting each member professionally, emotionally and with a sense of community. There’s an option for you, no matter who you are or in which maternity care setting you fulfil your daily task – independent midwifery; state or private hospital midwifery and maternity care; independent birth houses and active birth units; antenatal or postnatal care; associated care professions like doulas, lactation consultants and baby massage therapists; training institution; midwifery leadership; etc.