Despite ongoing challenges and negative headlines in maternity services, midwives across the UK and beyond are driving meaningful change every day. Dr Jenny Hall, Matflix and Maternity and midwifery forum editor, highlights how midwives and students are leading inspiring projects, education initiatives and clinical improvements that often go unnoticed. Midwives, students and maternity professionals are invited to contribute their own stories and celebrate the positive impact of their work.
There is much to be concerned about across maternity services and in recent years as midwives, it has felt that the profession has been taking a battering from negative press headlines. Yet there is much too that is taking place on a day to day basis that is hopeful and meaningful, with midwives and students leading projects, education and clinical practice changes that are making a difference. Often these are unnoticed.
From my experience midwives are great story tellers and there is so much that can be shared that will celebrate the work that midwives do. As an educator and editor, it has been a privilege to encourage and support authors see their writing in print for the first time. There are many places where these articles can be published. The Maternity and Midwifery forum is one of them.
If you look regularly at the web pages from the Maternity and Midwifery forum you will know that there are articles relevant to midwives, students and maternity workers. You may not know that during term time two new ones appear weekly. They are released via a newsletter that comes into your inbox on a Thursday, where you also receive information about the different events happening each week such as Midwifery Hour and the different festivals. And YOU could be one of those authors and write an article!
What do we publish?
We publish topics that are relevant to midwifery and maternity services, both in the UK and globally. A selection of some of the recent topics and articles are below:
Maternity reviews: Ensuring safe quality care for all women, babies and families – radical, system-wide change is needed
Global concerns: A Looming Crisis: Caesarean Section Clinics in Somalia Face Closure Due to Funding Gaps
Student projects: Art in Public Health Education: A Creative Collaboration on Breastfeeding Awareness
Global education: From Paramedic Dreams to Midwifery Magic: being a student in Abu Dhabi
History: Lessons from A Midwife: Birth, Life and Death in Tiger Bay
New book publications: Stranger In the Birth Room – Maternity Care for Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
Social concerns: Pushed into Poverty: the impact of pregnancy on working women
Political concerns: What would David Attenborough make of childbirth of the female of the species?
Invitation to participate in research: How can we improve the recognition of infants with abnormal head shapes?
Digital changes: Embracing Digital Transformation in Midwifery
Genomics: The Genomic journey in maternity: a guide for midwives and neonatal teams
Supporting students: Protecting the Spark: Supporting student midwives to thrive in practice learning
Sustainability: Optimal Maternity Care in Times of Crisis: Insights from New Zealand
Supporting midwives: Can We Find Joy At Work?
Baby loss: The Hidden Global Burden of Stillbirth
Service improvements: ‘You are welcome here’: Introducing recliner chairs for partners to stay overnight in maternity
Data collection improvement: Improving data on brain injury around the time of birth: review and consultation
Postnatal care: Postnatal care: zero progress in the past 10 years – can we accelerate action now?
Midwifery Education: What is the future?
Postnatal depression support: The Healing Power of Song: How Breathe Melodies for Mums is Changing Postnatal Depression Care
Midwifery best practice: Measuring blood pressure in the pregnancy continuum: best practice for midwives
As you can see, we have lots of interesting things to explore and keep you up to date. And we would encourage you to contribute as well.
Each article is anything from 400 -2500 words. When we receive it, we read and edit and return to you for confirmation. We welcome any photos to accompany the article with any permissions attached. We encourage links to any references to keep the article easy to read and any links to your web pages as well.
If you would like more information or would like to send anything please contact info@maternityandmidwifery.co.uk We would love to hear from you.
And here I am encouraging everyone to get writing over Christmas!
There is so much negative press out there it is time to share the good news!
Dr Jenny Hall
November 2025
4 comments
Midwifery Education in the current state has improved Maternal Child health services in both health facilities and community areas. It has improved the rate of Maternal and Perinatal Mortality rate by reducing the number that was high through mentorship and community Dialogues.
Midwifery Education in the current state has improved Maternal Child health services in both health facilities and community areas. It has improved the rate of Maternal and Perinatal Mortality rate by reducing the number that was high through mentorship and community Dialogues.
Barriers and Facilitators of Early Initiation of Breastfeeding among primepara mothers at Mbarara Regional Referral hospital. Waiting for Publication
A very good initiative for learning and improving midwifery
Negative press about midwives in the UK is largely due to systemic issues within the NHS, including staff shortages workplace culture and safety scandals:
Midwives play an important role in the care of a pregnant women we as midwives are autonomous practitioners and deliver exceptional care from, from antenatal appoints right through to labour delivery and postnatal care within the community, setting, where else in the world would you get this service, all free on the NHS.
I feel the negative press generally aims at systemic failures and not at midwives who often go “ above and beyond”
J Cole’s
Senior Midwife Middle East
Comments are closed.