Training to Become a Midwife

Becoming a midwife can be one of the most rewarding career changes. Babies are born every day and the NHS actively recruits midwives, as do many private birthing centres and hospitals.

Training and Qualifications

Training to become a midwife takes around five to six years, on average, depending on what relevant qualifications you have to start with. If you have no relevant training or qualifications, but have at least five A-C GCSEs, you can start to train as a midwife by enrolling onto an access course. If you have three A-Levels, you can go straight to applying for a degree in Midwifery.

Not all universities offer degrees in Midwifery, although most that offer medical degrees do. A midwifery degree in the UK takes three years of full-time study, or four years in Scotland, with the majority recommending a 50% placement and 50% theory, which takes considerably longer.

The NHS also offers ‘pre-registration midwifery short courses’ for qualified nurses wishing to specialise in midwifery. These courses offer part-time study alongside practical work – both in your existing area and midwifery – in order to become a midwife.

The UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council delivers a range of approved training and education courses, focused around half practical work and half theory, with a long list of locations and timetables available on its website.

Although large numbers of midwives are employed by the NHS, there are many other employer options for both qualified midwives and those looking to train. Many private hospitals employ midwives, as do birthing centres which are rapidly gaining popularity as a highly personal birthing choice.

Money Issues

Midwifery is a relatively well-paid career, with NHS roles offering a secure career that has regular pay reviews and incremental increases, with the midwifery roles in the private sector often slightly higher paid, but with perhaps less job security. The NHS pay scale for newly qualified midwives starts at around £20,000 per annum, going up to around £27,000 for a midwife with around 3-5 years' experience and £30,000 for a more experienced person. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that this does not include any London weighting, shift allowance or overtime, all of which can considerably increase your take home pay.

Career Choice for Men and Women

It is also important to point out that midwifery is a career choice with no discrimination. Both men and women are encouraged to apply for midwifery training, in both the public and private sector and, while it may still be considered an unusual career choice for men, this misconception is slowly changing. After all, we’re all used to male gynaecologists.

While there are no gender discrimination issues in being a midwife, there are certainly personality types that are more suited to the role. A large part of the midwifery training is focused on promoting health and wellbeing in pregnant women and understanding, promoting and facilitating normal childbirth in accordance with the pregnant woman’s wishes. As such, a ‘good’ midwife needs to be able to communicate well, have empathy and be comfortable dealing with often stressful situations.

There is also what the NHS calls ‘Fitness to Practise’ for medical professionals including midwives that is related to the health and wellbeing of its trainees and employees. As midwifery is a relatively physical job, Fitness to Practise, or FtP requires that midwives are not excessively overweight and are capable of fulfilling the physical demands of the job.

Becoming a Nurse

Find out what qualifications you need for a career in nursing, and how you can get into this invaluable profession in our article Becoming A Nurse.