How to become a midwife

Whether you're just finishing school or changing careers, there are several pathways into midwifery.

How you get there will depend on which route you want to take, you can study a full-time university degree course, an apprenticeship or even work your way up from a maternity support worker.

What to expect

Midwives are trained professionals who look after people during pregnancy, labour, birth, and after the baby is born. They offer support, advice, and care every step of the way. You’ll work with women from many different backgrounds, so strong communication skills are really important.

A full-time working week is usually 37.5 hours. Shift work is common, with unsocial hours covering nights, early mornings, weekends and bank holidays. Some roles in the community are regularly on-call across 24 hours.

As a midwife, you’ll be a childbirth expert with a range of responsibilities, such as

Providing full antenatal care, including parenting classes, check-ups, and screenings
Identifying high-risk pregnancies
Supporting women during labour and birth
Teaching new and expectant mothers how to care for their babies

Sometimes things don’t go as planned, so you must be ready to support women through difficult situations, and understand how pregnancy and birth affect women emotionally, physically, and mentally.

Video transcript: Video transcript careers in midwifery — Be part of something special.pdf[pdf] 53KB

Routes into midwifery

We have listed the typical routes at Mid Yorks below.

BSc midwifery degree (university route)

Best for those who want a direct path to becoming a midwife, ideal for students finishing A-levels, BTECs, or access courses.

3-year university course that qualifies you as a midwife
Entry requirements: A-levels (often including biology), T-level or a level 3 qualification in a relevant subject – it’s always best to check with the universities what qualifications they accept
We recruit yearly (usually in October) through the joint local maternity and neonatal system

Midwifery degree apprenticeship

This route is not currently available at Mid Yorks, however if you are keen on exploring this option, we recommend searching for opportunities on the national apprenticeship website.

Postgraduate midwifery course (for registered nurses)

For adult nurses wanting to switch careers

A shortened 18-month to 2-year course leading to a midwifery MSc or postgrad diploma
Aimed at qualified adult nurses registered with the NMC
Entry requirements: current NMC registration, nursing experience, and a health-related degree
We usually run an annual assessment day for nurses currently employed by the Trust who wish to apply