Working as a male midwife

When you think of a midwife, do you picture a woman or a man? Most likely, like the majority, you automatically picture a female midwife. would like to change that and advocates for more diversity in the profession. He works as a midwife in a hospital and shares in the interview what his daily routine looks like, whether some parents are surprised when a male midwife enters the room, and what his wishes are for the future.

Dear Tobias, midwife, obstetric nurse, obstetrician – how do you refer to your profession?

I describe myself as a midwife. I quickly realized that most people don't really understand the term "Entbindungspfleger". And the term "Geburtshelfer" or "Geburtshelferin" actually refers to gynecologists. Since I started saying "midwife," everyone knows that my work includes , and .

There are only very few male midwives in Germany – how did you come to this profession?

Through my mother, who worked as a midwife for almost 40 years. So, I grew up with this profession. I learned early on what it means to work in shifts and perhaps not have free time on holidays like Easter and Christmas. Of course, I also learned early on about the great responsibility that comes with the profession.

Then my path looked like this: I initially did an internship in nursing, which I enjoyed, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted. During an internship in the delivery room, I realized that this is exactly the work I want to do.

What does your daily routine as a midwife in the hospital look like?

I mainly work in the delivery room and am responsible for birth care and support. That means: I monitor the progress of the birth, keep an eye on the and the mother's vital signs. Overall, I am the point of contact for expectant parents and families and simply there for women and couples. I offer them my support, including massages or relaxing baths.

Of course, administrative tasks are also part of the job, which unfortunately take up a lot of midwifery work. This consumes time and care capacity. Therefore, we are looking to outsource this work in order to have as much time as possible for the women and couples.

What has been the most beautiful experience you've had as a midwife so far?

That is hard to say, as I have had many wonderful experiences so far. It is simply the births, the midwifery care, and the birth support itself – it is always wonderful when we can help women bring new life into the world. For us as midwives, the most beautiful thing is when everyone is doing well and we see happy families.

What has been the biggest challenge so far – whether during training or in everyday work?

There are many challenges. Both the profession as a midwife and the training period have shaped me incredibly as a person. You had to develop a thick skin to not let so much get to you – that is very important.

Especially challenging are always demanding births that require a lot of midwifery work. So obstetric understanding, many positions, many and much more. But when it results in a spontaneous birth and everyone is doing well, it reassures me that I took on the challenge.

What reactions do expectant parents, as well as colleagues, encounter?

That varies a lot. It may be that there are parents who reject a male midwife, and then we see if it is possible to switch. There are also colleagues who say that men have no place in this profession – but fortunately, that's not many.

You are active on Your Instagram channel and in the media and thus share insights into the midwifery profession and the special aspects that you, as a male midwife, experience – what message is particularly close to your heart?

It is very important to me that we represent the diversity of midwives externally and that parents and couples know how we work. I believe we cannot say that we have too few midwives or too few young people who want to work in this profession if we do not open our profession to all genders and individuals.

Furthermore, it is close to my heart that we improve working conditions and that we all become professionally active and work together. With this, we can achieve more midwives in the delivery rooms in the future, as well as midwives who .

What do you think is needed to make the profession of midwifery more attractive to men? Or rather: Why do you think so few men work as midwives?

As I just mentioned, I believe that the profession needs to be made more inclusive for all genders. I do not want to pressure men to work as midwives. But I want to encourage anyone who can imagine this profession to simply dare to do an internship and thus get a glimpse of our beautiful profession. Afterwards, he or she can decide whether working as a midwife is something for him or her.

Another reason could be the enormous responsibility we have. One must be aware of this, and perhaps it deters one or the other.

What do you wish for the future?

I wish for the future that midwives are seen much more clearly. Additionally, better working conditions in hospitals, as well as in out-of-hospital maternity care and in prenatal and postpartum support, are my wishes. This also includes better financial compensation. And last but not least, the desire for continued beautiful births should of course not be missing.

How do you prefer to relax after a stressful workday? What helps you to disconnect from work?

I have personally found my methods that help me unwind after work. It helps me to just go outside for some fresh air and take a walk, meet up with colleagues, family, or friends, and take care of my pets – this way I can relax well.

What would you like to pass on to expectant parents? What are your tips?

Don't worry too much or be afraid of what is coming your way. The of the new and unknown often plays a big role. On one hand, this is naturally understandable, but on the other hand, fear can also become a barrier – but fear must not turn into a major blockade.

Something that can increase this fear and lead to uncertainties are too many and especially false information. Therefore, I advise parents not to read too much and not to research too much on the internet. Because much of what is found online is simply incorrect.

And as silly as it sounds: You are born into the role of parenthood. It is completely normal to make mistakes – you will learn from them, and that’s just life. Expecting parents should try to look ahead to the upcoming time as relaxed as possible, even though it will naturally be very exciting. It is important not to add extra stress and not to let external factors cause stress. As midwives, we try to support, accompany, and assist as much as possible throughout the entire time. Of course, we cannot take everything off your plate, nor is that our goal; we simply want to be there for the parents and help with questions, problems, and worries.

Thank you very much for your answers and the insight into your life as a midwife, Tobias. We hope we could show you how colorful the profession of midwifery is. You can read about what everyday life as a midwife looks like for Sissi Rasche in our interview Dream job: Midwife "Read."