Obstetrics and antenatal care in Hawaii

During a three-month compulsory placement on the island of Oahu, Hawaii (USA), the author gained a wide range of insights into both obstetrics and gynaecology. During her time abroad, she observed a number of differences between midwifery practice in the USA and Austria. This paper outlines these differences, particularly regarding midwifery training, the scope of practice in antenatal care and obstetrics, and the income of midwives in the USA. Despite the wide range of responsibilities undertaken by American midwives, obstetrics remains largely in the hands of doctors, and there is still a long way to go before midwives in the USA enjoy the same standing as midwives in Austria. Some of the information presented in this paper is derived from participant observation and field research conducted by the author and has been supplemented with scientifically sound information, primarily sourced from the internet. As part of the field research, an interview was conducted with an American midwife.