May 5 — Midwife's Day: history and traditions of the holiday

Midwife Day is celebrated annually on May 5 in Russia and other countries of the world. It is a holiday dedicated to medical staff who help doctors and patients during childbirth. Read about the history of the significant day and the specifics of its holding in the Izvestia article.

Midwife's Day in 2025: the history of the May 5 holiday

The history of obstetrics dates back to before our era. Assistants for women in labor existed in Ancient China, Ancient Egypt, Babylon, Russia, and other countries and regions. Obstetrics began to develop in scientific and medical circles in the 17th century.

The first conferences on the provision of medical care during childbirth began to be held in the early 1900s. Over time, meetings began to take place more frequently, and in 1954 in London it was decided to establish the International Association of Midwives. Since then, congresses have been organized every three years.

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It will be fixed at the federal level, and now the conditions are determined by educational institutions.

During a regular conference in the Netherlands in 1987, the participants proposed the establishment of a significant midwifery day in order to increase the importance of the profession in the eyes of the public. The holiday appeared on the calendar in 1992 and is celebrated annually on May 5.

The peculiarity of the field is that obstetricians are predominantly women. It was in this medical industry that, for the first time in history, representatives of the fair sex were accepted.

How to celebrate Midwife's Day in Russia and the world

Every year, the Association offers different slogans for the celebration.. For example, until 2015, the holiday was held under the slogan "The world needs midwives today more than ever." In 2023, the motto of the landmark day is "Together again: from evidence to reality." The slogan is a reference to the upcoming global congress of the organization's members, the first in five years.

Seminars, conferences, processions, and concert events are traditionally organized in many countries to mark Midwife's Day. The most distinguished representatives of the profession are awarded with certificates of honor.

On March 10, Nutritionist's Day was celebrated all over the world — a holiday of specialists who deal with issues of healthy human nutrition. Izvestia told about the specifics of the profession and the traditions of the significant day.