Who works in the NHS Team Midwives have a client group who are on the whole very healthy, and in need of help and advice only because they are expecting a baby. The birth itself may be at the heart of the process, but midwives provide support to women, their babies, their partners and families, from conception to the first phase of post-natal care. So your work will take you out of the hospital into people's homes and local clinics as part of the overall healthcare team.
Every delivery is a major event in the lives of the people involved.
Midwives have the lead professional role in preparing for and managing the event, intervening where necessary and knowing what to do if the mother or baby is sick. Having babies happens to all sorts of people, so you will be providing professional support and reassurance to a huge diversity of women, during some of the most emotionally-intense periods in their lives. You will have to stay calm and alert in times of stress, and enable women to feel confident and in control. On the rare occasions where something goes wrong, you have to be ready to react quickly and effectively. As your experience grows you can research and develop special areas of practice, become involved in services such as family planning, or move into teaching or management.