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How to become a Midwife

Midwife jobs

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Midwife courses

Career progression and salary expectations for a Midwife

Midwife

| Up to £35,000

The role of a Midwife

What does a Midwife do?

Do you love babies? Are you addicted to TV shows like One Born Every Minute? Then you could consider training to be a Midwife.Working in the NHS, Midwives provide essential support, care and advice for expectant mums, from the time just after their pregnancy is confirmed by a doctor to when the new baby is a month old.You'll be able to help women make decisions about exactly what they want during labour and you'll be on hand to deal with any dilemmas that arise afterwards. Midwives can work in hospitals, maternity units, group practices and birthing centres, but the role will usually include:

Diagnosing, monitoring and examining women during pregnancy and providing antenatal help.
Coming up with individually tailored care programmes for the parents-to-be and giving classes on looking after newborns.
Observing animal behaviour and checking for injuries
Supervising labour and referring cases to a doctor if Plan A cannot be implemented.
Advising new mums and dads after the birth until the Health Visitor takes over, a month later.

Is a career as a Midwife right for me?

A Midwife needs to come across as calm in any type of crisis, so it's best to have a level-headed disposition if you want to pursue this as a career. Obviously, you'll need to like babies and working with people in general too - and you'd better not be the slightest bit squeamish.Also, bear in mind that Midwives' working lives usually involve some anti-social hours and that they are regularly on call - unfortunately, babies just can't be persuaded to arrive between 9am and 5pm.Key skills include:

A caring bedside manner
Being proactive and able to react quickly should things not go according to plan
The ability to work in a team
Patience - you'll spend a lot of time explaining the same things over and over
The ability to provide reassurance and build trust in your patients

What's it like to be a Midwife?

"If you want to be a Midwife, you have to be prepared to work hard. The hours are long and the job is both physically and mentally demanding. That said, the rewards are definitely worth it - delivering a baby creates a rush of euphoria like no other. OK, so I might end up a bit messy most days - but I get to watch new life coming into the world on a daily basis, and there's no better feeling than that."

Get qualified as a Midwife

To become a Midwife, you'll need a minimum of five GCSEs (or equivalent) and at least two A-levels (or equivalent). Then, you'll be required to complete a degree in Midwifery. It may also be an advantage to be able to display pre-entry experience such as a job or internship in health and social care.

Recommended Midwifery courses

Midwifery and Maternity Care Assistant - CPD Approved Training

Cambridge Open Academy

CPD Accredited | Interactive Learning Materials | Gift: PDF Certificate + 1 Free Course | Tutor Support| Lifetime Access
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- Online
- 11 hours · Self-paced
- Certificate(s) included
- 20 CPD points
- Tutor support
Great service

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**2 in 1 Midwifery and Maternity Care Assistant - CPD Approved Training bundle** Embark on a fascinating journey through the art and science of midwifery with our CPD Approved Training. Delve into the roots of this noble profession in Module 01, exploring the definition and ori …
£25
Neonatal Nursing, Midwifery and Maternity Care - CPD Certified

Academy for Health & Fitness

Flash Sale! 20-in-1 Premium Bundle | CPD Accredited | Free PDF & Hardcopy Certificate | 200 CPD Points | Lifetime Access
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- Online
- 100 hours · Self-paced
- Certificate(s) included
- 200 CPD points
- Tutor support
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★★★ 24-Hour Flash Sale! Prices Reduced Like Never Before!! ★★★ ★★★ 20 in 1 Midwifery Training Bundle ★★★ Over 750,000 little ones are born in the UK every year. That's a whole lot of new parents and babies needing top-notch care. Are you someone who gets excited about this s …
£119