Why the ICM Congress is important to me as a student midwife
I am delighted to have won the RCM student midwife competition to attend the 34th International Confederation of Midwives Triennial Conference 14-18th June 2026. This is a prime opportunity for a student midwife such as myself to learn about midwifery from all corners of the globe. The theme ‘one million more midwives’ feels apt with […]
A journey with midwifery!
When the word journey springs to mind most people think of suitcases, vacations, beaches, sun, food, skiing etc; in my case the two words that come to mind first are a passport and a midwifery degree. As an internationally trained midwife, who has worked in the NHS for over a decade and now teaches in […]
Pride, progress and practice: bridging the gap in LGBTQIA+ maternity care through education
About the Author Frankie Cooper is a Midwifery Lecturer at the University of York. After completing her training, she worked in various midwifery education roles including as a Midwifery Practice Educator and as a Practice Education Facilitator at St Mary’s Hospital. Frankie is a Professional Midwifery Advocate and has completed the Birth Trauma training programme. […]
Why the new RCM Birth Conversations Toolkit can help women process birth trauma
Last week saw shocking fresh revelations in the Panorama programme about poor care in Nottingham. There can be no doubt that these experiences leave women traumatised, at risk of metal health problems and with fear in subsequent pregnancies. We also heard about the substantial increase in emergency caesarean sections in recent years, and again, unexpected, […]
Making Midwifery Continuity of Carer (MCoC) Work in Practice: An Implementation Science Approach
At the 34th ICM Triennial Congress, I will be presenting one of the workstreams from my PhD research which explores one of the ongoing questions in contemporary maternity care: how are Midwifery Continuity of Carer (MCoC) models implemented in practice, and what is needed to sustain them across maternity services in the United Kingdom (UK) […]
Holding the centre: how the Mary Seacole programme shaped my leadership in high-acuity maternity settings
About the Author Sharon Howard-Lee is a Delivery Suite Co-ordinator in a high-pressure London maternity service, known for calm, compassionate leadership and a values-driven approach to supporting teams. She is committed to safe, positive birth experiences and nurturing a strong, respectful team culture. Introduction When I began the Mary Seacole Programme, I believed I had […]
Standing Up for Racial Justice in Maternity Services
As Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the Royal College of Midwives, I was honoured to see the RCM move a powerful motion at the TUC Black Workers Conference addressing racial discrimination in maternity services. The conference coincided with Black Maternal Health Awareness Week, 20th April to 26 April 2026, a timely and important reminder that race inequality in maternity care is not […]
Support in the Storm
My first weeks as a Newly Qualified Midwife (NQM) on Labour Ward were better than I expected. I was excited to come into work, I trusted that I knew enough to get started, I trusted that I wouldn’t be asked to look after a high risk diabetic women on a VRI sliding scale with a […]
Maternity services in Wales: what the parties are promising
Election season always brings a flurry of promises and it’s our job at RCM Cymru to go through every manifesto carefully and ask: what does this actually mean for midwives, for maternity support workers and for the women and families they care for every day in Wales? One of the things that struck me most was how many parties […]
Reflecting on the RCM’s first Digital Symposium
Last week, the RCM hosted its first Digital Symposium, bringing together midwives, leaders, innovators, and digital specialist from across the four nations working in maternity services and digital leadership. The symposium explored how digital innovation is shaping the future of Maternity care and the wider global health. The day created space to reflect on implementation, […]