MIDIRS - Midwifery Information & Resource Service

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. 🎉

24/03/2026

There are still a few spots left on our Journal Club happening today with Professor Soo Downe. Get your free ticket here: MITRJRC: Ethical Complexity in Midwifery Research and Practice https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mitrjrc-ethical-complexity-in-midwifery-research-and-practice-tickets-1984563156825?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=wsa&aff=ebdsshwebmobile

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

21/03/2026

New on MIDIRS blog: midwife Holly Manton talks about her time at SOS-Humanity , a civilian search and rescue organisation supporting those in distress at sea.

Read now: https://rcm.org.uk/blog/2026/03/my-time-as-a-search-and-rescue-midwife/

Images © SOS Humanity

16/03/2026

Did you know that MIDIRS offers a discounted subscription for midwives around the world? 🌍️

We have mapped our global pricing structures to make it easy to see which rates apply to you. For midwives in countries coloured in blue, a MIDIRS subscription through your institution costs just £10 or £20 per year.

To look at the full offer - including a breakdown of individual country pricing - and learn how you can sign up, head to our website: https://rcm.org.uk/midirs/midirs-subscribe/

13/03/2026

New on MIDIRS blog: Meg Hyslop-Peart discusses the use of the 'Fresh Eyes' approach in labour care and introduces a national survey exploring how the approach is experienced by clinicians.

Read now on our website: https://rcm.org.uk/blog/2026/03/fresh-eyes-in-maternity-care/

11/03/2026

Missed our latest Midwives-in-Training Research and Journal Review Club?

You can watch our last session, 'Policy and Midwifery Practice' with Clare Livingstone and Mike Indian from now on our YouTube channel.

Catch up here:

This recording of the Midwives-in-Training Research and Journal Review Club (MITRJRC) February session, with guest speakers Clare Livingstone and Mike Indian...

10/03/2026

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

08/03/2026

This International Women's Day, our Search Pack of the Month brings together research exploring how gendered dynamics shape maternity care. Head to our website to read the article and access the free resource: M53: Feminism & Gender Issues in Midwifery. 💜

https://rcm.org.uk/blog/2026/03/feminism-gender-issues-in-midwifery-search-pack-of-the-month-march/

Our Search Packs are pre-made literature searches on topics within maternity research. They contain a comprehensive bibliographic list of articles as well as article abstracts.