One of the most important roles of a midwife is assisting in births. Early labor usually starts a couple weeks before active labor. The one telltale sign of early labor is braxton hicks contractions. Braxton hicks contractions are “false” contractions, or contractions that are not a part of active labor. Midwives must assure the mother that early labor is not active labor.
Midwives are always on call, and they must always be prepared to assist a mother in active labor. When active labor first starts, midwives check the FHT(fetal heart tones) and dilation. When a mother is fully dilated and contractions are regular, the pushing process begins. This is considered second stage labor. Midwives do a number of things during active labor or even just second stage. They must make sure that the FHTs are strong. If they are not, it could mean that the cord is displaced and the baby is