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Healthcare

Midwife

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Primary Secondary Post-16

Imagine a superhero who helps new mums and dads welcome their tiny babies into the world! That's what a midwife does. A midwife is a very special person who looks after women and their families before, during, and just after a baby is born. They give advice on staying healthy during pregnancy, help during the birth itself, and then check on mum and baby to make sure everyone is doing well in the first few weeks. They are there to make sure mums feel safe, happy, and supported, and that babies arrive safely and start their journey well. They might work in a hospital, a special birthing centre, or even visit families at home. It is a job full of love, care, and excitement, helping to bring new life into the world every single day.

Midwife

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📊 Statistics

Starting Salary

A newly qualified midwife in the NHS (National Health Service) usually starts on around 28,407 pounds a year. This can go up as you get more experience.

Experienced Salary

With more experience and extra training, a midwife can earn between 35,000 pounds and 50,000 pounds a year or even more if they become very senior.

Number of Midwives

There are over 25,000 midwives working across the UK, helping families every day.

🚀 Careers in this path

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Baby Doctor

A baby doctor looks after newborn babies to make sure they are healthy and strong, just like a midwife helps with the birth.

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Childrens Nurse

A children's nurse helps look after boys and girls when they are poorly, giving them medicine and making them feel better, similar to how a midwife cares for new mums and babies.

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Nanny

A nanny helps families look after their children, playing games, reading stories, and making sure they are safe and happy, which is a bit like the caring part of a midwife's job.

Learning About Helping

Being Kind and Helpful

Start by being a kind and caring person. Midwives need to be good at listening and looking after others.

You can practice being kind by helping your family and friends. Maybe you can help with chores at home or look after a pet. Learning to be patient and understanding is also a big part of being a good helper. Think about how you can make someone's day a little brighter.

Learning About Babies

Read books or watch shows about babies and how they grow. This helps you understand what midwives do.

There are lots of fun children's books that talk about babies being born and how they change as they grow up. You might also see baby animals being born on nature programmes, which can teach you about caring for very young creatures. It's a great way to start learning about new life.

Doing Well at School

Pay attention in subjects like science, as it helps you learn about how our bodies work.

Even in primary school, learning about the human body, plants, and animals in science can be really interesting. It helps you understand how things grow and stay healthy. Good reading and writing skills are also important for learning more when you get older, so try your best in all your subjects!

Growing Your Skills

Learning More at School

When you're a bit older, keep working hard in science, especially biology, to understand the body even better.

In secondary school, you'll have subjects like science, English, and maths. Focusing on subjects like Biology will teach you about cells, organs, and how the human body functions, which is super important for a midwife. Doing well in these subjects will help you later on.

Volunteering to Help

You could volunteer at a local charity or a place that helps people, to practice caring for others.

Even if you can't volunteer directly with babies yet, helping out at places like an elderly care home, a community centre, or even helping younger children at school can teach you valuable skills in caring, listening, and being responsible. These experiences show you're a kind and helpful person.

Finding Out More

Talk to people who work in healthcare, like nurses or doctors, to ask them about their jobs.

If you know someone who works in a hospital or clinic, ask them about what they do. They might be able to tell you stories about helping people and what it's like to work in healthcare. Watching documentaries about hospitals can also give you a peek into what it's like.

Becoming a Midwife

Going to University

After school, you'll go to university to study a special course called 'Midwifery' for three years.

This is where you learn all the important things a midwife needs to know, like how to help during birth, how to care for mothers and babies, and all about medicines and safety. You'll spend time in classrooms learning and also spend lots of time in real hospitals and birth centres, learning from experienced midwives.

Learning on the Job

While at university, you'll get to practice being a midwife in hospitals and clinics, with real mums and babies.

This is called 'placements' and it's a very important part of your learning. You'll work alongside experienced midwives, helping them look after pregnant mums and their new babies. You'll learn how to listen to baby's heartbeats, help mums feel comfortable, and support them through their journey.

Becoming a Registered Midwife

Once you finish university and pass your exams, you'll become a real, registered midwife and can help families!

After graduating, you'll register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). This means you're officially qualified and ready to start your exciting career as a midwife, helping new families and bringing babies safely into the world. It's a wonderful job where you make a big difference every day!

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🎯 View Apprenticeships

Explore relevant apprenticeships that can help you kickstart your career in Midwife. Apprenticeships offer hands-on experience and training while earning a wage.

🎓 View Apprenticeships

Career Progressions

This page showcases various career options and the pathways to reach them. Each career listed here shares transferable skills and knowledge, making it easier for individuals to transition between them.

Your current career is highlighted to help you see how it fits into the broader landscape of potential career choices. By clicking on any career, you can learn more about it, including the training and education required to pursue it.

Remember, progressing in your career often involves further learning and training. This page provides insights into future career options as well as those that can lead up to your current one.

These career progression decisions are informed by comparing the skills and knowledge needed for different occupations, along with data on how people move between them. Explore the possibilities and discover the exciting journey ahead in your career!

Sample Qualifications

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university degree
  • an apprenticeship
  • a specialist course run by a professional body

University

You can do a degree in midwifery as long as it's approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

If you already have a degree that is not in midwifery, you can do a postgraduate midwifery course to become a midwife.

You may be able to get additional student financial support through the NHS Learning Support Fund.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
  • 2 or 3 A levels, including a science, or a level 3 diploma or access to higher education in health, science or nursing
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

More Information

Apprenticeship

You can do a Midwife Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.

This typically takes 48 months to complete and includes learning on the job and studying at an approved university.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

More Information

Volunteering

You'll find it helpful to get some volunteering experience in healthcare before you apply for a course.

You can also find volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT.

Other Routes

If you're a registered adult nurse you may be able to take a conversion course to become a midwife. These usually take between 18 and 24 months.

More Information

Registration

Career tips

When applying for degree courses and apprenticeships, you'll be expected to show an understanding of how the NHS values apply in your work.

Further information

You can find more on how to become a midwife from the Royal College of Midwives and Health Careers.

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