Midwifery Feature Articles
Lessons from A Midwife: Birth, Life and Death in Tiger Bay
In the current climate of maternity care it is important to consider the past of midwifery. In this article Dr Alys Einion, FRCM, Senior Adviser of Studies, School of Health Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland and Sian Jones, Practice Development Midwife, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, Wales, explore the......
Stranger In the Birth Room – Maternity Care for Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
Midwives and other maternity care workers may come across survivors of Child Sexual Abuse during their practise. In this article Kathryn Gutteridge Honorary Professor, Independent Consultant Midwife & Psychotherapist, shares part of her personal story and a new book to help prepare carers. Trigger Warning: this article contains information that......
What would David Attenborough make of childbirth of the female of the species?
In the UK the government are awaiting publication of the NHS 10 year plan. Neil Stewart, Editorial Director of the Maternity and Midwifery forum, reflects on current issues in maternity services, following viewing of David Attenborough’s, Oceans and attending the International Council of Nursing congress in Helsinki. Many of......
Safety in Maternity Care – No one feels safe
This week the Secretary of State for Health spoke about Maternity Services and the Government plans for a National review. Birthrights’ latest survey highlights a broken maternity system that prioritises its own safety and survival over women and birthing people, students and midwives. Earlier this year, we released a......
Pushed into Poverty: the impact of pregnancy on working women
Maternity Action’s Senior Policy Officer Annah Psarros reports on the charity’s latest research into new mothers’ experiences of maternity pay and the implications for maternal and infant health Maternity pay in the UK is now worth less than half of the standard weekly National Living Wage (NLW). Maternity Action’s 2025......
Northern Maternity & Midwifery Festival 2025: Celebrating 10 Years of Professional Inspiration, Support and Progress
Now in its 10th year, the Northern Maternity & Midwifery Festival returns to Manchester on 8 July 2025 with a full day of personal development for maternity professionals, including CPD-accredited talks, networking, and inspiration. In this article we explore the local voices and national policy, that make this year’s festival......
How can we improve the recognition of infants with abnormal head shapes?
Newborns come in all shapes and sizes, in particular their heads. Evolution has formed the fetal head with an amount of flexibility, to allow passage into the world. It is important that those working with infants, young children and their families, are able to recognise when head shapes are abnormal.......
Helping to shape the future of midwifery research
The RCM has been undergoing a project to establish the research priorities for midwifery practice and maternity care in the UK. Jenny Cunningham and Dr Jude Field, RCM Research Advisors, explain the project and reveal the top 10 priorities and the strategy for embedding these going forward. _________________________________________________ The UK’s......