Midwife

Midwives provide care and support to women and their families while pregnant, throughout labour and during the period after a baby’s birth.

You will mainly deal with pregnant women requiring professional support and advice. You are likely to be the lead health professional and contact for a woman, providing evidence-based information and helping them to make informed choices about the options and services available throughout their pregnancy.

Role Characteristics

Provide full antenatal care, including parenting classes, clinical examinations and screening
Identify high-risk pregnancies
Monitor women and support them during labour and the birthing process
Teach new and expectant mothers how to feed, care for and bathe their babies
Work with other health and care professionals to ensure a smooth patient journey
Have expert knowledge on midwifery and be able to inform women throughout their pregnancy

Skills

Communication
Attention to detail
Advice giving
Active listening
Decision-making
Empathy

Day in the life

Watch this video to find out more about being a Student Midwife.

Routes into this role

Here are some example routes that can lead into this role.

GCSEs

BTEC

T-Level

A-Levels

Undergraduate degree

Degree apprenticeship

How to become

You will need 5 GCSEs including English language, maths and science.

You will usually need 3 A-Levels, or equivalent such as a T-Level or BTEC.

You will need to train and study for an undergraduate degree or postgraduate degree. A degree apprenticeship may also be available.

It is important to check your preferred course provider's entry requirements for guidance.

To practice as a Midwife, you must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Where can this role lead

No matter what role you start in or where you are in your career path, there are always opportunities to develop and progress in health and care.

Once you have qualified as a Midwife, there are a wide range of opportunities. You may want to undertake further training and become a Health Visitor or move into management, teaching or clinical research.