Some careers will never not be needed. As a midwife, you can ensure the health, survival and wellbeing of babies and those who birth them across the world.
Midwifery is a global profession that’s been around for thousands of years. You’ll be caring for individuals and their families before, during, and after the birth of their child, and ensuring the health and wellbeing of both.
You’ll likely need a qualification in biology, and be able to demonstrate your compassion, empathy, attention to detail, and your ability to work well under pressure.
You can progress to managing a team, all the way up to becoming consultant midwife, or decide to specialise in areas like ultrasound or neonatal care. Your midwifery skills will also be in demand at humanitarian aid charities if you want to volunteer your skills elsewhere.
The impact you could make
- Help deliver babies safely and healthily.
- Tackle social and health inequalities through good midwifery care, health education, promotion, and protection.
- Know how to respond and when to escalate a birth to interdisciplinary and multi-agency colleagues, saving lives, and advocating for the needs of the child and their parents.
What you could study
- Public health and childbearing
- Human relationships in midwifery
- Biological sciences
- Prenatal care
- Postnatal care
- Practice experience
- Midwifery emergencies
- Midwifery research
- Midwifery leadership
Example module
"Bodies and birth which focuses on anatomy of the female pregnant body, as well as midwifery profession and practice which helps us learn clinical skills such as cannulation, suturing, managing a breech and cephalic birth, and many more."
Second year midwifery student, Kingston University
Example project
"The birth space project with the architects! To create an environment which would support families through labour, as well as be usable by staff."
Second year midwifery student, University of Brighton
Biology (or other science)
Psychology
Sociology
Hard skills you'll develop
- Obstetrics and gynaecology
- Postpartum care
- Prenatal development
Soft skills you'll develop
- Communication and teamwork
- Compassion and empathy
- Attention to detail
- Ability to work well under pressure
Average salary
£32,688
Up to £51,266
Available jobs
48,920 vacancies in the past year
6.31% growth over next eight years
What is a…. health visitor?
A health visitor is a qualified nurse or midwife who undertakes extra training to help parents and their new baby stay healthy once the baby is born. You might visit patients at home, or hold clinics at a GP surgery or health centre. You’ll check things like baby’s weight and measurements, as well as supporting with postnatal care, both physically and mentally. A health visitor can be a really important source of support for a new or first-time parent.
Entry requirements
Find out more about what you'll need to study midwifery at university or as an apprenticeship.
Average requirements for undergraduate degrees
Entry requirements differ between university and course, but this should give you a guide to what is usually expected from midwifery applicants.
A levels
BCC
Scottish Highers
BBBC
Vocational
BTEC DDD/Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma DMM - DDM
Other BTEC qualifications may also be considered with other Level 3 qualifications
Midwives are privileged to be at the heart of some of the most profound moments in people’s lives. Being a midwife requires a unique combination of knowledge, skill and compassion, and involves working in partnership with women, supporting the transition to parenthood, as well as the health of the newborn baby and the family. It’s also a rewarding career full of professional development and career opportunities.
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Maternity & Midwifery Forum
The Maternity & Midwifery Forum host a weekly podcast, called the Maternity & Midwifery Hour, a YouTube channel, annual festivals in cities around the UK, and lots of educational guides on the website. -
Belfast Midwives
This Channel 4 series follows midwives as they go about their daily jobs delivering babies. Useful for hearing and witnessing the reality of the job. -
Child and Maternal Health Intelligence Network
If you want to get into the detail (and impress a prospective university with your knowledge) this website gives you access to publicly available research and data on child and maternal health in the UK. You can search for articles and reports on things like breastfeeding, obesity in pregnancy, and the impact of covid-19. -
Royal College of Midwives
Keep up-to-date with the Royal College of Midwives website. The Royal College of Midwives is a professional body and trade union representing midwives.
Skills, experiences and interests to mention
- Think about why you want to become a midwife – what is it that excites you about the job, and what hobbies or interests do you have that feed into that passion?
- Midwives are caring and compassionate. Maybe you’ve enjoyed caring for an elderly relative, or done babysitting or childminding for neighbours or friends? Show your empathy and understanding of others.
- When have you worked well as a team? Maybe you’re part of a sports team, Scouts or Guides, or another hobby that involves working well with others?
- What jobs or situations can you highlight that demonstrate how you work well under pressure? Have you had a busy Saturday job in a bar or restaurant? Can you cite a situation where you kept a cool head when things got stressful?
- How can you illustrate your passion for biology or human health? Maybe you’ve been in a hospital or medical environment before? Is there any work experience or shadowing you could do to show you understand what a career as a midwife entails?
- Don’t forget time management and attention to detail. School coursework and exams are useful ways to illustrate this.