miB

BIAKA UNIVERTY INSTITUTE

OF BUEA
Department of midwifery, level 200
Course title: MIDWIFERY IN BELGIUM

Course instructor: Madame. DINGA VERA

Presented by: OMBETE N.INES CYNTHIA
 Midwifery in Belgium
The Belgian midwife association defines a midwife as an expert in pregnancy, labour
and post partum period. She is medically trained an in the expert of choice for providing
support and guidance for normal pregnancy and births. You can also ask for a midwife about
matters relating to fertility and family planning.
Since the second world war there has been an important shift in midwifery care.
Physiological delivery has moved from primary to secondary care. The reason of this shift
was the introduction of compulsory health and disablement insurance scheme in 1944, which
specified that from 1945 on ward all deliveries in hospitals and all specialist medical care
would be reimbursed by health insurances, regardless of it having been a physiological or
pathological birth .Pregnancy and birth are well covered by insurance or public health
system. The midwife course also became more and more focused on midwives working
setting of assisting gynaecologist during de delivery. In 1957 the midwives course was
categorised by Nursing Education.
Midwives are hardly involved in antenatal care because most women go to gynaecologist
during their pregnancy. In the natal phase the midwife often play an assisting role but if the
doctor is absent the midwife is able to conduct the delivery on her own. Midwives conduct 2-
3% of the annual deliveries. Midwives provide postnatal care in hospital under the
supervision of the doctor on duty. In 2000, 815 deliveries were registered as conducted by
independent midwives. Parents can choose where to give birth. They can give birth at home
or at the hospital where their gynaecologist practises. Home birth is not common in Belgium
about 1% of annual births are home birth.
The Belgian society have a different organisation of maternity care. The professional union of
midwives can direct you towards finding a midwife. In Belgium hospital stay for mother and
child after delivery is 5 days.
1911; first midwife association
1924; regulation of midwifery education
1945; first council of midwives
1957; nursing education
1967; EEC
1991; update and expansion legislation
1995; direct entry midwifery
1999; national council of midwives