Midwife
Guide a mother to bring her baby safely into the world. Help her through this emotional and physical experience before, during and after the birth.
About the job
A day in the life – Midwife
What it's like
You would guide a mother to bring her baby safely into the world. You’d help her through this emotionally and physically demanding experience at all stages - before, during and after the birth.
You would care for and support pregnant women and their babies. Each woman will trust you to do your best to keep their baby healthy and safe.
Before the birth, you would:
Advise the pregnant woman on issues like healthy eating
Explain the options, such as giving birth in hospital or at home, natural childbirth and types of pain relief
Run classes about pregnancy (antenatal) and parenting
Regularly check the health of the mother and baby
During the labour, you would:
Check how labour is progressing
Monitor the baby
Give pain relief or suggest how to manage pain
Deliver the baby
Call a doctor if you notice any medical problems
You would need to stay calm under pressure. You’d try to keep the mother and her birth partner calm as well.
Once the baby is born, you would advise families about feeding, bathing and generally caring for their baby.
As a midwife based in the community, you would visit people's homes to check on the health of the mother and baby.
You can see more about this role in the National Health Service on the Midwife page on the NHS Scotland Careers website.
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- taking responsibility
- making decisions
- developing a plan
- social conscience
- empathising
- researching
- verbal communication
- listening
- supporting
- resilience
Things you should know
Meet Shannon
a midwife at NHS Forth Valley
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Biology
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Care
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Childcare and Development
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Human Biology
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Skills for Work: Health and Social Care
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Foundation Apprenticeship: Social Services and Healthcare
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Foundation Apprenticeship: Social Services Children and Young People
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
You need a midwifery degree (SCQF Level 9/10) leading to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
To enter a midwifery degree (SCQF Level 9/10) you need National 4/5 qualifications and a minimum of four Highers at BBBC or above.
If you are an adult without the relevant qualification you may be able to apply to a degree following an Access to Nursing (SWAP) course; you must check it is accepted for entry to the course you want.
Qualifications that show understanding of health and wellbeing such as:
Health and Social Care (SCQF Level 6)
SQA Wellbeing Award (SCQF Level 3-5)
Scottish Vocational Qualification in Healthcare Support (SVQ Level 2/3).
Once qualified, to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). If you are already a Registered Nurse you can take a reduced training course (18 months) to achieve dual registration with the NMC.
To be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme run by Disclosure Scotland.
Studying or training
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