mid·wife

[mid-wahyf] noun, plural mid·wives [-wahyvz] , verb, mid·wifed or mid·wived, mid·wif·ing or mid·wiv·ing.
noun
1.
a person trained to assist women in childbirth.
2.
a person or thing that produces or aids in producing something new or different.
verb (used with object)
3.
to assist in the birth of (a baby).
4.
to produce or aid in producing (something new): to midwife a new generation of computers.
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English midwif, equivalent to mid with, accompanying (Old English; cf. meta-) + wif woman (Old English wīf; see wife)

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Midwife is one of our favorite verbs.
So is subtilize. Does it mean:
to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.
to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
midwife (ˈmɪdˌwaɪf) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n , pl -wives
a person qualified to deliver babies and to care for women before, during, and after childbirth
 
[C14: from Old English mid with + wif woman]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

midwife
c.1300, "woman assisting," lit. "woman who is 'with' " (the mother at birth), from M.E. mid "with" (see meta-) + wif "woman" (see wife). Cognate with Ger. Beifrau.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

midwife mid·wife (mĭd'wīf')
n. pl. mid·wives (-wīvz')
A person, usually a woman, who is trained to assist women in childbirth. v. mid·wifed or mid·wived, mid·wif·ing or mid·wiv·ing, mid·wifes or mid·wives
To assist in the birth of a baby.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

midwife definition


A person who serves as an attendant at childbirth but is not a physician. Some midwives (called certified nurse midwives) are trained in university programs, which usually require previous education in nursing; others (called lay midwives) learn their skills through apprenticeship.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Easton
Bible Dictionary

Midwife definition


The two midwives mentioned in Ex. 1:15 were probably the superintendents of the whole class.

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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Example sentences
The biggest indicator of success in this category is whether a qualified nurse, doctor or midwife is present during a birth.
She's not a doctor, not a lactation expert, not a midwife not a scientist in any way shape or form.
So she prevailed on her midwife to induce labor while she still had insurance coverage.
The gentle hand of her midwife, trusting in the innate wisdom of birth.
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