Where were some of the earliest formal midwifery training programs established in the 17th century?

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Midwives assisting a birth while astrologers consult sky charts; woodcut relief print from Jakob Rueff's De conceptu et generatione hominis (1554; The Expert Midwife). — midwifery Midwives assisting a birth while astrologers consult sky charts; woodcut relief print from Jakob Rueff's *De conceptu et generatione hominis* (1554; *The Expert Midwife*).

In the 17th century, some of the earliest formal midwifery training programs were established in the Netherlands, with the most notable programs located in the city of Amsterdam.1

Following these developments in the Netherlands, similar formal training programs were subsequently established in France, Sweden, and Scotland. These educational initiatives emerged alongside the rise of maternity, or lying-in, hospitals across Europe.1

Prior to the widespread adoption of these formal programs, midwives typically gained their qualifications through personal experience as mothers or by completing an apprenticeship under the guidance of an experienced midwife or physician.1