On Wednesday 13 May 2026, the Birmingham Maternity & Midwifery Festival returns to the Midlands, welcoming over 300 healthcare professionals to the Cranmore Park Conference Centre. More than just a conference, this year’s event feels like a statement of intent for a profession navigating challenge, change, and growing pressure.
At a time when maternity services across the UK remain under intense scrutiny, the need for spaces that bring professionals together, to reflect, learn, and speak openly, has never been greater.
Beyond education: a call to be heard
This year’s festival is not only about CPD, innovation, or professional development, although it delivers strongly on all three, it is also about voice.
At 13:00, the programme pauses for a “Stand up for Midwifery” rally, bringing delegates together, both in person and online, for a series of speeches advocating for improved services, better education, and an end to the blame culture that continues to affect both staff and the women they care for.
In a landscape shaped by ongoing inquiries and critical reports, this moment is significant. It reflects a profession increasingly willing to challenge narratives, advocate for women, and call for the resources and continuity of care that are widely recognised as essential to safe, compassionate maternity services.
A programme rooted in real-world challenges
The festival programme reflects the complexity of modern maternity care, balancing clinical excellence with emotional intelligence, policy awareness, and workforce resilience.
The morning sessions set the tone with thought-provoking presentations such as “What a difference a midwife makes…” and “Challenging midwifery – surviving and thriving”, addressing both the impact and the realities of working within today’s system.
Themes of loss and communication are explored through sessions like “The language of loss” and “Cultural perspectives of perinatal loss”, highlighting the importance of compassionate, culturally sensitive care in some of the most difficult moments families face.
Expanding the conversation
A notable strength of the 2026 festival is its broadened scope. New content streams reflect the increasingly multidisciplinary nature of maternity care.
The introduction of a Women & Infant Health stream brings in vital perspectives on neonatal care, parental mental health, and wellbeing in high-stress environments. Sessions such as neonatal research insights and psychoeducation in perinatal mental health underline the growing recognition that outcomes are shaped far beyond the delivery room.
At the same time, a dedicated student midwife stream offers an honest and timely look at the realities of training in 2026, covering everything from navigating placements to building supportive peer networks. This inclusion feels particularly important as the profession looks to support and retain its future workforce amidst an employment crisis for newly qualified midwives.
Practical learning, professional growth
Alongside the broader themes, the festival remains grounded in practical, evidence-based learning.
Afternoon sessions cover key areas of clinical practice and service development, including waterbirth, postnatal care, and improving conversations around place of birth, topics that directly impact day-to-day care and women’s experiences.
Professional and regulatory insight is also on offer, with sessions unpacking the role of the Nursing and Midwifery Council and what it means for midwives and students today.
And, in keeping with the festival’s ethos, the programme also makes space for wellbeing, from hands-on workshops like knitting for relaxation to sessions on building sustainable habits in demanding roles.
A festival, not just a conference
What continues to set the Maternity & Midwifery Festival apart is its accessibility and atmosphere.
The event is free to attend, fully funded, and designed to remove barriers for busy professionals. Alongside the main programme, delegates can explore a diverse exhibition, attend Meet the Expert sessions, view academic posters, and connect with colleagues from across the region.
Importantly, every session is recorded, with a full video box set available after the event, extending the learning far beyond a single day.
Register your free place here.
Reconnecting a workforce under pressure
In many ways, the Birmingham festival represents something deeper than a professional gathering.
It is a chance to reconnect – with colleagues, with purpose, and with the values that underpin midwifery care. It offers space to reflect on what is working, what needs to change, and how the profession can move forward together.
At a time when morale is often tested, events like this play a crucial role in re-energising the workforce and reinforcing a shared commitment to improving outcomes for women, babies, and families.
A moment not to miss
For midwives, maternity staff, students, and those working across women’s and infant health, the Birmingham Maternity & Midwifery Festival 2026 is more than a date in the diary.
It is an opportunity to learn, to be heard, and to stand alongside others committed to shaping the future of maternity care.
And perhaps, this year more than ever, it is a reminder that progress in maternity services depends not only on policy and funding – but on the collective voice of the profession itself.
April 2026
Maternity & Midwifery Forum