MIDIRS - Midwifery Information & Resource Service

27/04/2026

The deadline for abstract submissions to our Research priorities symposium closes tomorrow so it's not too late to get involved!

This virtual event will bring together midwives, researchers, and maternity professionals to explore the most pressing research priorities shaping the future of midwifery and maternity care.

Designed as a collaborative and inspiring space, the symposium will offer opportunities to share findings, exchange ideas, and connect with others passionate about advancing maternity research. Attendees will gain fresh perspectives on the RCM’s Top 10 research priorities and discover how these insights can influence and enhance midwifery practice.

Join us to be part of a growing research community committed to improving outcomes for women, babies, and families. https://buff.ly/PI5qdd6

26/04/2026

We're proud to be a female-founded, midwife-led organisation 💗

As part of our 40th anniversary year celebrations, we're spotlighting the women who were there at the start, and shaped what we have become today.

Swipe to meet the key individuals from the very beginning and learn how we came to be. We're also grateful for the countless volunteers who supported us along the way, from photocopying to accounting, and everything in between!

Today, MIDIRS is a team of nine women led by Dr Sara Webb, a midwife of over 20 years. We are honoured to continue the legacy that these women created 📚

24/04/2026

Our latest session of MITRJRC, on perinatal mental health services and preparation for practice, is available to watch now on YouTube:

1 like. "Perinatal Mental Health Services and Preparation for Practice with Josephine Lane"

23/04/2026

We’re having a brilliant time at The Royal College of Midwives Activists Conference today in Birmingham!

If you haven’t already, say hello to Dr Sara Webb and enter our free raffle to win an embroidered tote bag. The prize winner will be drawn at 4pm 💕🌞

22/04/2026

New on MIDIRS blog: midwife Michal Rosie Meroz discusses her time spent with an Orthodox Jewish woman and reflects on how experiential understanding can support midwives to provide culturally-sensitive care.

Read now on our website: https://rcm.org.uk/blog/2026/04/a-yiddishe-mama-insider-outsider-reflection-notes/ 📚

20/04/2026

Student midwives: join MIDIRS and the Midwives-in-Training Research and Journal Review Club for our next installment on the topic of 'Preventing burnout in midwifery' with guest speaker J. Paul Anthony, Senior Lecturer in Mental Health at the University of Staffordshire. Paul will discuss the ways in which we can develop preventative frameworks for burnout, and the research behind this.

Head to our Eventbrite to secure your free ticket for the online webinar: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mitrjrc-preventing-burnout-in-midwifery-tickets-1984566065525?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

13/04/2026

There is still time to join MIDIRS for tomorrow’s session of the Midwives-in-Training Research and Journal Review Club!

Student midwives: join MIDIRS and the Midwives-in-Training Research and Journal Review Club for our next session on perinatal mental health services and preparing yourself for practice with guest speaker Josephine Lane, a perinatal mental health midwife and RCM award winner.

Learn more about the session and book your free ticket here: https://buff.ly/vbBwQ10 💗

07/04/2026

Midwives in research are needed for a new survey working to understand the career progression of UK midwives.

The RCM's Research Team are looking to hear from midwives who:
📕Have completed a PCAF or MRes
📕Are PhD students
📕Have completed a PhD
📕Started and didn't finish a PhD

Please consider completing the survey to get your experience in research heard.

Survey link: https://forms.office.com/e/rTBZ7FazAi
Deadline: 1 May 2026

02/04/2026

Today, 2 April, is World Autism Awareness Day. To mark the event, our Search Pack of the Month for April brings together a broad collection of maternity research on autism, from pre and postnatal risk factors to the lived experiences of autistic mothers in maternity services.

Access the free resource: https://rcm.org.uk/blog/2026/04/autism-search-pack-of-the-month-april/

01/04/2026

Student midwives: join MIDIRS and the Midwives-in-Training Research and Journal Review Club for our next session on perinatal mental health services and preparing yourself for practice with guest speaker Josephine Lane, a perinatal mental health midwife and RCM award winner.

Learn more about the session and book your free ticket here: https://buff.ly/vbBwQ10 💗

31/03/2026

The recording of our latest journal club session is now live on our YouTube channel. 🎥

Watch last week’s session, with guest Professor Soo Downe, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdq9obZuXpA

Student midwives: join MIDIRS and the Midwives-in-Training Research and Journal Review Club for a session on ethical complexities in midwifery.

In this installment of MITRJRC, we will be joined by guest speaker Professor Soo Downe, a midwife with a research focus on the nature of, and cultures around, physiological labour and birth. Soo is Professor of Midwifery Studies at the University of Lancashire, teaching on both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

The session, which is hosted by Michelle McKay, will involve a presentation, discussion with fellow students, and a Q&A session with Soo.

Secure your place by getting a free ticket at our Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mitrjrc-ethical-complexity-in-midwifery-research-and-practice-tickets-1984563156825?aff=oddtdtcreator

26/03/2026

We had a brilliant time at the RCM's Education and Research Conference in London last week. It was wonderful to connect with midwives, students, MSWs, educators and researchers alike to promote evidence-based resource sharing across the maternity profession.💗

We particularly enjoyed talking all about our history to mark our anniversary year. If you stopped by the drinks reception, you may have spotted our timeline banners 👀 You can learn more by heading to our website or reading the article 'Tracing MIDIRS' history: 40 years of midwifery-led care' in the March 2026 edition of the Digest.

A huge congratulations also goes to the four winners of the RCM's Small Research Awards; Philippa Cansell, Rebecca Taylor, Anna Niangasa and Rachel Arukah! Each winner received a complementary one-year subscription to MIDIRS. We look forward to supporting your continued research. 🎉