Going to visit an Obgyn can be rather routine, but without one profession, the field of obstetrics wouldn’t even exist! Believe it or not, we have those original midwives to thank for the field of obstetrics. For much of our modern century, midwives have taken a backseat to obgyn’s. Though still common in some countries, most women no longer utilize midwife services when pregnant or giving birth.

Fortunately, midwifery is making a comeback. As more and more women turn to holistic and homecare, midwives are once again becoming commonplace. In fact, many obgyn offices have in-staff midwives to assist during the delivery process! For thousands of years, midwives have been caring for women during and after pregnancy. The early methodologies and research discovered by these midwives helped to cull and develop modern obstetrics as we know it today.

In fact, up until the 20th century, the field of obstetrics was still referred to as Midwifery in all medical schools. Obstetrix, from which we derived obstetrics, is actually the Latin word for a midwife! Obviously, this is one old profession that has only lead to even greater advances in women’s health and well-being.