Midwife - overview

Midwives use their medical expertise to assist pregnant women in their journey to becoming mothers, providing support to mother and child. Read on to find out more about what being a midwife is like, what your career might involve and how you can work towards your first role in the field.

Learn what the role involves below.

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What does a midwife do?

As a midwife, you’ll provide clinical care and advice to people having a child. There are a variety of roles and specialisms that you can pursue within the midwifery discipline. You might work as a hospital midwife or community midwife, offering your expertise across dedicated obstetric or home environments.

Your responsibilities will be varied and will depend on the circumstances of the birth and where you’re working. You might provide pre-natal advice, administer medical procedures and support during a birth, or offer post-natal advice and medicine. As a compassionate and caring medical expert, you’ll find this role incredibly rewarding.

What will your days involve?

Daily tasks will vary but could involve:

  • Providing advice to women on issues relating to their health and the pregnancy
  • Explaining birthing options like giving birth at home or in hospital
  • Checking labour progress and detecting any problems
  • Checking health of mother and baby
  • Administering intravenous medicines
  • Providing other medicines and pain management
  • Delivering babies
  • Relaying information to doctors if any problems occur
  • Advising families on caring for their baby

FAQs

How much can you earn as a midwife?

The average salary for a midwife in the UK is £36,920. Graduates start at around £27,500.

Does a midwife role involve travel in the UK or overseas?

You won’t usually travel as a midwife, as you’ll usually be working at a hospital or in homes locally. You could seek out positions based overseas.

Can you work from home as a midwife?

Midwives don’t typically work from home as their roles are based in frontline healthcare environments.

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