MIDIRS - Midwifery Information & Resource Service

19/11/2025

Out now on MIDIRS blog: Dr Lucy Goddard discusses the history, use and stigma surrounding ni**le shields, and introduces her research project aimed at supporting women and healthcare professionals to make informed decisions around ni**le shield use.

Plus, learn how you can contribute to the project and receive £25 for your time. Head to our website to read the article!

https://rcm.org.uk/blog/2025/11/ni**le-shields-for-breastfeeding/

17/11/2025

MIDIRS spotted at graduation!🎓

Congratulations to Elisa Russo, one of our MIDIRS Midwifery Digest authors, on her graduation from the University of Greenwich. Elisa also received an award for outstanding achievement 🎉

Elisa is pictured here with her lecturers - Dr Yemi Onilude (Doctor of Education & Senior Lecturer in Midwifery), Hannah Turner (Lecturer in Midwifery), and Deniece Hardy (Senior Lecturer in Midwifery and Elisa's dissertation supervisor who supported her with her publication for MIDIRS).

Congratulations from all of us at MIDIRS - we love to see your success stories! 💗

You can read Elisa's article 'What is the effect of hypnobirthing on childbirth outcomes? A literature review' by purchasing a copy of our latest edition of MIDIRS Midwifery Digest.

Images by Zanato Media 📸

07/11/2025

Missed our last journal club? A recording of last week's session, on the topic of AI within midwifery, is now up on MIDIRS YouTube. Matt Smith discusses the benefits and drawbacks of AI, particularly within midwifery education, and his article with MIDIRS.

https://youtu.be/9kPQg-PgwTE?si=fHqPXNrrdQk3w6gn

05/11/2025

MIDIRS Search Pack of the Month for November is MS15 Informed Consent, in line with the Royal College of Midwives' Research Priorities. The pack includes a comprehensive bibliographic list of peer-reviewed literature compiling evidence and research on the topic of informed consent, including legal and ethical processes and the role of the midwife in informing and upholding consent.

Head to our website to access this free resource and learn more: https://rcm.org.uk/blog/2025/11/informed-consent-search-pack-of-the-month-november/

03/11/2025

Join the RCM next Monday for an online webinar on the resources and support available to midwives, student midwives and MSWs looking to get into research. Discover the new Research Support Buddy Scheme and hear from speakers Jo Cull, Katie Handley, Dalvir Kandola and Professor Hora Soltani.

Learn more and book your place: https://buff.ly/1MyRnSv

03/11/2025

Congratulations to Michelle McKay, host of the Midwives-in-Training Research and Journal Review Club, for being shortlisted for the RCM Awards in the “Excellence in Research” category! She joins a brilliant shortlist of individuals excelling in various fields of maternity research.

Learn more about the Journal Club by heading to MIDIRS website.

Next up, the for Excellence in research. Well done to:
- Emily Bates, Saskia Osterloff, Emily Sowinski, UEA
- Michelle McKay, University of Staffordshire
- Natasha Carr, Birmingham City University
- Sarah Weist, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

29/10/2025

New on MIDIRS blog: Hayley Sarpong, a British Ghanaian midwife and founder of the grassroots initiative MW2Ghana, shares a deeply personal account of her relationship with midwifery.

Hayley discusses how trauma shaped her career and healing become her superpower, ultimately leading to the creation of MW2Ghana, an initiative that supports women's access to maternity services and provides essential equipment for safe childbirth in Ghana.

Please note that this article contains references to sexual abuse.

Head to MIDIRS blog to read the full article: https://rcm.org.uk/blog/2025/10/the-mw2ghana-initiative/

Find Hayley on Instagram:
Personal:
MW2Ghana:

See Hayley's website: https://www.heyhayleys.com

Thank you, Hayley, for the amazing work you are doing, and for sharing your story! 💗

27/10/2025

Did you know that MIDIRS offers discounted membership for international subscribers, starting at just £10 per year for an individual membership?

The International Confederation of Midwives has partnered with the RCM to ensure that MIDIRS resources are accessible worldwide, and evidence-based maternity research is internationally available.

Pricing is decided based on the country that a subscriber is from, with a Zone 1 individual annual subscription costing just £10, and a Zone 2 subscription costing only £20 per year (digital subscriptions only).

Head to the link below to read the instructions for signing up to this offer, and view the countries in each pricing bracket.

https://rcm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/MIDIRS-ICM-how-to-subscribe-text-for-MIDIRS-website-inc-zones-updated-130325.pdf

A MIDIRS subscription includes:
📚 A copy of the quarterly MIDIRS Midwifery Digest, an academic journal full of evidence-based maternity research.
🔎 Access to the Maternity and Infant Care Database, the world's largest midwifery-specific research database, containing over 300,000 abstracts and updated daily.
📝 550+ pre-packaged Search Packs, compiling specific research topics into one master document.
🖥️ The Latest Research Update, a weekly compilation of abstracts added to the database each week.

Interested in subscribing to MIDIRS? Head to our website to learn more: https://rcm.org.uk/midirs/midirs-subscribe/

21/10/2025

We are excited to announce that we will be joined by Matt Smith, the Royal College of Midwives eLearning Systems and Content Manager, for this session.

Matt is an experienced educator and learning technology professional with a career spanning over two decades. In his role at the RCM, he has played a pivotal role in advancing its learning platform, i-learn, and e-learning content. Matt is also pursuing a PhD in e-Research and Technology Enhanced Learning at Lancaster University.

He will be discussing his article, “Midwifery educator’s perceptions and readiness for integrating generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT in teaching an learning: an exploratory case study” which featured in MIDIRS Midwifery Digest this year.

Student midwives, get your free ticket for this event at our Eventbrite, linked below.

📣 Student Midwives: Join the Midwives-in-Training Research and Journal Review Club for an online webinar on the role of AI in midwifery📣

This session is presented by Michelle McKay, Course Director for Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Staffordshire and the host of the Midwives-in-Training Research and Journal Review Club.

Michelle has a keen interest in how AI can support students, midwives and the public if used correctly. She is completing a post-graduate award in AI for healthcare at Warwick University and is involved in a project to create accessible training for student midwives that is safe, ethical and evidence-based.

Michelle will explore the topic "What is the role of AI for midwifery education and practice?". There will be a presentation, a Q&A session and the chance for discussion with your student midwife peers.

Head to our Eventbrite below to secure your free ticket and ensure your spot at the webinar. We look forward to seeing you there! 💗

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mitrjrc-ai-for-healthcare-with-michelle-mckay-tickets-1777948213969?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=1

20/10/2025

To celebrate Black History Month 2025, MIDIRS is spotlighting articles in this year's MIDIRS Midwifery Digest that highlight disparities that Black women experience within midwifery care, as well as the brilliant work being done to reduce this disparity.

To mark the month, we have released our March hot topic article, "It's been a lifesaver! Parental and professional reflections on the Mummas Together Group: a South London peer support group for Black mothers" as a free download.

Authors Christina Brown and Dr Michelle Peter share the difficulties faced by women from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds in accessing perinatal mental health services, and describe the life-changing impact of The Mummas Together Group, a perinatal peer support group aimed at Black mothers.

Head to our website (linked below) to read the article, including an introduction by Christina Brown, and learn more about Black History Month. 💗

https://rcm.org.uk/news/2025/10/celebrating-black-history-month-2025/

14/10/2025

October 9-15 is Baby Loss Awareness Week, a time to support bereaved parents and families to commemorate their babies' lives. The week, which is supported by over 100 charities, is also a time for midwives, MSWs and other healthcare professionals to reflect on the impact of baby loss on themselves.

Head to MIDIRS blog to read about notable events occurring over Baby Loss Awareness Week, including an extension of baby loss bereavement care support by the Welsh Government, a parliamentary debate on the topic of baby loss, and the globally-recognised Wave of Light happening tomorrow. 🕯️

https://rcm.org.uk/blog/2025/10/notable-events-this-baby-loss-awareness-week/

12/10/2025

Do you know about this RSV-specific Learning Hub?

Created by the ReSViNET Foundation, an international network of healthcare professionals and researchers, the ReSViNET Learning Hub is a free online platform that contains evidence-based materials designed to support healthcare professionals in communicating RSV to patients.

With all resources available in 11 different languages, the hub aims to provide inclusive materials to strengthen discussions between professionals and families. Furthermore, the platform keeps professionals, including midwives, up to date with developments in RSV research. These accessible RSV resources help to protect newborns and young children from the impact of RSV.

Head to ReSViNET's website - https://learninghub.resvinet.org/ - to explore the Hub, which contains a multitude of resources, including factsheets, FAQs, podcasts, animations and clinical cases.