Counselling is the professional advice and guidance given to the person by the trained person in order to assist the client to explore, discover and clarify ways of living more positively, satisfactorily and successfully in the society. Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. Each stage should be a positive experience, ensuring women and their babies reach their full potential for health and well being. Midwives are playing a very vital role in taking care of the women during her perinatal period.

This article discusses the importance of counselling skills in midwifery practice which helps in delivering high quality, compassionate care to the mother during her perinatal period and also explores the way in which midwives can develop their counselling sills.

Midwife: A midwife is a person who, having been regularly admitted to a midwifery educational programme, duly recognized in the country in which it is located, has successfully completed the prescribed course of studies in midwifery and has acquired the requisite qualifications to be registered and/or legally licensed to practice midwifery. (ICM 2005)

Midwifery: Midwifery is defined as “skilled, knowledg eable and compassionate care for childbearing women, newborn infants and families across the continuum from prepregnancy, pregnancy, birth, postpartum and the early weeks of life”. The evidence shows us that midwifery plays a “vital” role, and when provided by educated, trained, regulated, licensed midwives, is associated with improved quality of care and rapid and sustained reductions in maternal and newbornmortality. (WHO)

ICM: International Confederation of Midwives, CMBC: College of Midwives of British Columbia, WHO: World Health organisation