Midwifery is a medical profession, an area of expertise which covers normal pregnancy and childbirth. In case of complications during pregnancy or childbirth, a obstetrics doctor takes over, but it is down to midwives to oversee antenatal care during the pregnancy. This includes medical examinations, palpation, listening to the baby's heart and checking the wellbeing of both mother and baby, in preparation for the birth. Some midwives also run free NHS antenatal classes and they can offer pre-pregnancy advice on conception and looking after yourself.
Midwives are technically responsible for your care for 28 days after the birth too, which means they pay home visits for check-ups to monitor not just your healing, but also how you are coping with your newborn baby, providing help with breastfeeding if you need it.