Midwifery - Subject Guide

Although the field of midwifery is entirely based around childbirth and women’s health, this is a complex and highly consequential field which has a large spectrum of practices, methodologies, and specialist areas. Some of these include:  

• Antenatal care: Involves providing support during pregnancy, including regular check-ups, prenatal screenings, and education on nutrition, exercise, and childbirth preparation. Promoting antenatal care aims to ensure a healthy pregnancy outcome for everyone. 

• Postnatal care: Postnatal care is the healthcare service provided to parents and newborns following childbirth. It involves monitoring maternal recovery, breastfeeding support, newborn care education, and screening for postpartum complications such as infections or mood disorders. 

• Neonatal care: This focuses on the specialised medical care required for newborn infants, particularly those born prematurely or with health complications. It includes monitoring vital signs, managing feeding difficulties, administering medications, and providing developmental support to ensure optimal health during the critical first few weeks or months of life. 

• Perinatal mental health: Giving birth can be psychologically as well as physically challenging, and this specialisation addresses the emotional well-being of individuals during pregnancy and the postpartum period. It involves screening for things like depression, anxiety, or psychosis, providing counselling and therapy where required and offering support to families. 

• Home birth midwifery: Midwives provide care and support to those choosing to give birth at home rather than in a hospital or a birth centre. This includes prenatal assessments, labour support, assistance with delivery, and postnatal care within the home environment. 

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• Introduction to human biology 

• Complicated maternities 

• Reproductive biology 

• Legal frameworks regulating midwifery 

• Intrapartum care and obstetric emergencies 

• Labour and birth 

• Perinatal mental health 

• Midwifery research 

• Medicines management 

You’ll learn all about what is required to safely guide people through pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal care, as well as being able to engage with the emotional and social aspects of maternity care.

As a student, you’ll develop clinical skills in midwifery practice, critical thinking abilities, and the communication skills necessary for providing compassionate and evidence-based care to new or expectant parents and their families.

You’ll learn to work as part of an interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, and in a variety of workplace environments including clinics, hospitals, and people’s homes. 

More general, transferable skills you’ll pick up include: 

• Team working 

• Listening skills 

• Attention to detail 

• Confidence 

• Observation and analysis 

Most midwifery courses are approved by the Nursing & Midwifery Council, letting you register as a midwife when you complete your course. Some courses may also give UNICEF UK Baby Friendly accreditation which helps provide students with the knowledge and skills to offer support in breastfeeding and relationship building. 

If you're interested in healthcare, and even the field of childbirth and reproductive health, but are considering alternative pathways to midwifery, then you might consider looking into these related disciplines: 

• Psychology and counselling 

• Nursing 

• Public health 

• Women’s health 

In addition to delivering babies, you’ll be able to use your degree to work in healthcare administration, education, research, policymaking, and much more. You might end up working in maternity care settings such as hospitals, birthing centres, or community outreach teams in the UK or abroad. Wherever there are children being born, there’s a demand for well-trained midwives, so your skills will be in high demand the world over. 

Qualifying with a midwifery degree gives you the chance to work within the NHS or on a private basis. You can advocate for women's health and excellence in maternity care, improving the safety and quality of life of pregnant people, new parents and babies all around the globe. 

Roles include: 

• Antenatal clinic midwife 

• Community midwife 

• Health promotion specialist 

• Health visitor 

• Intensive care neonatal nurse 

• Maternity nurse 

• Midwife sonographer 

These are just a few of the most common job roles. You'll find plenty of other options available to you, and you can also continue your studies by completing a postgraduate degree in midwifery or a related subject.  

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