Starting from childcare joint education, I have worked with students at midwifery vocational school, university major, university undergraduate education, special midwifery major, graduate school midwifery major, and finally with students in the undergraduate midwifery elective course at our university. However, even though the educational curriculums are different, the qualifications required of midwives remain the same, the educational goals are the same, and of course the national exams must be taken using the same standard of questions. The actual class time in undergraduate courses is shorter than in major courses or graduate schools, and about half of university midwifery courses are reading subjects. Due to the short class time, both exercises and practical training have to focus on childbirth assistance. Additionally, over the past four years, due to the coronavirus pandemic, there have been restrictions on the content of practical training, and we regret that we have not been able to provide students with a sufficient learning environment. Face-to-face time was also limited for health guidance, and the time for direct interaction with pregnant women was limited. Also, depending on the facility, mothers could only be in the same room for 4 minutes or less, and there were many cases where the time was up after vital signs were taken and there was no time to provide health guidance. During the delivery assistance training, I was forced to wait overnight, and there were many days when I woke up exhausted from the wait. After about five months of irregular training, the students managed to complete the prescribed 10 cases before their graduation ceremony.
The number of births in Japan has reached 70, and measures to counter the declining birthrate are being promoted throughout the country, but the declining birthrate is likely to continue to progress in the future. The training environment, where each student has to assist with 10 births while waiting for a small number of deliveries at the training facility, is expected to become even more difficult in the future.
Even if students practice this technique of picking up a baby during on-campus practical training, it would probably take 10 cases for students to be able to do it on their own, even though their hands are shaking and they stand still during actual childbirth situations. However, the number of births is decreasing, anesthesia deliveries and high-risk deliveries are increasing, delivery facilities are being consolidated, and training facilities are becoming increasingly narrow. Midwifery techniques have been handed down as midwives since the Edo period, and perhaps the time has come to find a new direction for passing them on amidst diverse values.
