PURPOSE:
Given the limited structure of the current midwifery system, young midwives in Taiwan face numerous challenges in developing their careers. In response, we advance care through pathways to practice and advocate midwifery values.

DISCUSSION:
Taiwan’s Caesarean section rate is 38.41%, with fewer than 1% of births attended by midwives (Taiwan Midwives Association, 2024), reflecting the absence of midwifery-led care models. This service gap poses challenges for both women and midwifery professionals. In response, we began building a framework to apply midwifery values through practical strategies, spanning community to hospital settings. Our results show that childbirth education and collaboration with obstetricians enhance birth confidence and experience, while community lectures raise awareness of childbirth and bodily autonomy.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
We put midwifery values into practice through the following three approaches: 1. Government-funded childbirth education – Independently designed and led by midwives, three sessions were held for 11 families (21 participants). Post-course evaluations showed 90% of participants rated their confidence as high (scores of 4 or 5), suggesting a perceived increase in preparedness, aligning with findings from studies on childbirth self-efficacy (Demirci et al., 2023; Eidouzaei et al., 2023). 2. Collaborative maternity care with OB-GYNs and midwifery students – Birthing women described feeling“cared for — not just safe” and “truly supported,” aligning with WHO’s framework for respectful, emotionally supportive maternity care (WHO, 2018). 3. Community education to expand public understanding of childbirth – Public lectures promoted respect for life, birth, and bodily autonomy. Reflections included: “Childbirth is part of creating life — and never just a woman’s issue.” “I was born by C-section, but I wish I had been born this way — naturally. It seems cool.” These voices reflect a shifting public perception of birth and reproductive experience.

KEY MESSAGE:
A new generation of midwives is advancing diverse models of care that reconnect communities with the core values of midwifery. Poster session 2 (Group A)