Midwife means "with wife."  A midwife is a person who helps families to have a healthy pregnancy and who takes care of the mother and baby during birth. There is more to midwives than catching babies, however, as you can see in the following description. 

The International Alliance of Midwives offers this explanation of a midwife

Definition of Midwife

A midwife is a primary health care provider whose services are guided by the individual needs of each mother and baby. Her abilities and knowledge are the health, physiology and effective care of pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

She acts in a humane, receptive, flexible manner, on the basis of evidence or practical experience. She is willing to update her knowledge continually while maintaining a practice of meticulous care with minimum intervention.

She acquires essential knowledge from other midwives through a variety of educational routes within a formal or traditional process, as well as by assisting with mothers and babies.

A midwife shares information with mothers, families and the community that may include her model of care, alternative health services, rights and responsibilities, wellness, preventive care, bonding, breastfeeding, child rearing and family planning.

A midwife provides care and oversees the health of women and their babies during the childbearing year and assists with birth. She may provide lifelong care to women. The midwife's practice is autonomous: she may offer her services at clinical facilities and in homes.

A midwife can identify health problems, knows techniques for managing emergency situations and has a plan to refer or transport, when necessary.

A midwife is acknowledged as a primary provider of maternal health services by the members of her community or by the country in which she practices.

— International Alliance of MidwivesDefinición de Partera / Definition of a Midwife
 

Definición de Partera

La partera es una proveedora primaria de servicios de salud dirigidos a las necesidades individuales de cada madre y bebé. Sus destrezas y conocimientos son en la salud, la fisiología y el cuidado efectivo del embarazo, nacimiento y el posparto.

Su trato es humanizado, receptivo, flexible, con base en la evidencia o la experiencia práctica. Ella está dispuesta a actualizar sus conocimientos constantemente a la vez que mantiene una práctica donde procede con un cuidado meticuloso de mínima intervención.

Sus conocimientos esenciales son adquiridos con otras parteras a través de diversas rutas de aprendizaje dentro de la educación formal o tradicional. Asimismo, de sus experiencias con las madres y bebés que asiste.

La partera comparte información con las madres, familias y la comunidad que puede incluir su modelo de atención, alternativas de servicios para la salud, derechos y responsabilidades, bienestar, cuidados preventivos, apego, lactancia, crianza y planificación familiar.

La partera cuida y verifica la salud de las madres y de sus bebés durante el ciclo maternal y asiste el parto. Ella puede extender sus cuidados a toda la vida de la mujer. La partera practica de forma autónoma: puede ofrecer sus servicios en facilidades clínicas o en los hogares.

La partera reconoce problemas en la salud, conoce de técnicas para manejar casos de emergencia y tiene un plan para hacer referidos o traslados de ser necesario.

La partera es conocida como proveedora primaria de servicios de la salud maternal por los miembros de su comunidad o por el país donde practica.

Sinónimos de Partera: Comadrona, Matrona u Obstetriz

— Alianza Internacional de Parteras

In Minnesota, we have four types of midwives. Each type shares a dedication to improving the birth experiences of healthy women and babies. How each midwife perceives the scope of good midwifery care may vary somewhat. What is clear from research is that healthy pregnant women and babies experience the best birth outcomes when they receive midwifery care. Read more about the types of midwives and some research statistics on midwife care.