Midwives provide individual care to women and their families, encouraging them to participate in and determine how they want their pregnancy to progress. Midwives work with women during and after their pregnancy in a variety of settings, for example, in the women’s own homes, midwifery-led units and hospitals. Midwife means ‘with woman’ and this highlights the empowering/partnership role of the midwife – the midwife works with the woman rather than telling her what to do.