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The Danish Association of Midwives

Contact information:

Jordemoderforeningen 
Sankt Annae Plads 30 
1250 Copenhagen K 
Denmark 
Phone: +45 4695 3400 
www.jordemoderforeningen.dk 
sek@jordemoderforeningen.dk

President: Ms. Lis Munk, RM, MI, lim@jordemoderforeningen.dk

Vice President: Ms. Mette Rotesan, RM, mro@jordemoderforeningen.dk   

Danish Association of Midwives 
The Danish Association of Midwives was founded at a meeting in Copenhagen in September 1902.

The Association organises midwives and student midwives, jointly taking care of professional as well as job or work related interests in the broadest sense. The Danish Association of Midwives has approximately 3.000 members, out of which 2.400 are active licensed midwives, 400 are student members, and the rest retired midwives.

The Danish Association of Midwives is, apart from ICM, also member of European Midwives Association, EMA, of WHO-European National Nursing and Midwifery Associations and of The Nordic Midwives’ Federation, Nordisk Jordemoderforbund, NJF.

The Danish midwifery education
The education lasts 3,5 years. It is a direct entry midwifery education, ending in the title: Professional Bachelor of Midwifery. The yearly turnout of midwives is at present 140.

Since 1787 there has been an official educational process concerning midwives. The midwives have for more than 200 years been trained in Copenhagen, and in 1979 another school opened. In 2005 the schoole in Esbjerg open. In 2022 a school in Slagelse open. All four schools are integrated in centres for higher education. These centres are undergoing the process of accreditation to be recognised as university colleges.

Denmark is – as a member of the EU – following the Bologna declaration, which means that midwives can build upon their professional bachelor degree to a relevant Masters level. Some Masters programmes will require supplementary education prior to entry. The education follows the general directive of the EU, concerning midwifery. Midwives educated outside Denmark can seek information via the following link as to the regognition of their education.

Midwifery in Denmark 
Midwives are licensed according to law on licensing of health personnel, Unemployment is almost non existent.

The Danish Association of Midwives estimates that the shortage of midwives is roughly 100 for the whole country, or about 10 % of the full time midwife work force. Denmark offers today 33 delivery wards, combining midwifery work in antenatal and postnatal areas as well as home births and specialist functions.

Official information about the Danish midwifery education

  • Circular on Midwifery CIR No. 149 of 08/08/2001.
  • Circular on the Obligation of Midwives to Keep Organised Records, CIR No. 150 of 08/08/2001 (repealed)
  • Guidelines on the Range of Midwifery Services, Obligation to Keep Records, Obligation to Report, etc., GUI No. 151 of 08/08/2001 (Current)

The scope of practice of midwifery in Denmark 
Midwives work with:

  • Family planning
  • Antenatal classes, family preparation classes
  • Health promotion and profylactic consultations on demand with pregnant women and their families and including:
  • Diagnostic ultrasound scanning
  • Smoking cessation intervention courses
  • Care for special groups, twin pregnancies, overweight/obese families, pregnant women with immigrant backgrounds, team work with pregnant women with substance abuse
  • Observation, care and treatment of women with complicated pregnancies in hospital or in the home.

The midwife conducts births on her own responsibility and provides care for the newborn and the infant. This care includes preventative measures, the promotion of normal birth, the detection of complications in mother and child, the accessing of medical care or other appropriate assistance and the carrying out of emergency measures. The midwife may practise in any setting including the home, ommunity, hospitals, clinics or health units.

The midwife supports the woman in the best choice of feeding her child. The immediate postpartum care as well as extended care in hospital or visits in the family home as well as the woman seeking the midwife’s advice in the midwifery centre forms an essential part of the midwife’s duties.