MIDIRS - Midwifery Information & Resource Service

17/02/2026

Student midwives, are you...
📝 Wanting to get into research but unsure of where to start?
👋 Seeking a space to connect with other students outside of your university?
🗣️ Interested in hearing directly from midwifery professionals, researchers and educators?
🔍️ Looking for professional development opportunities with certification of attendance?

If you said yes to any of these questions, then the Midwives-in-Training Research and Journal Review Club could be for you! Take a look at real feedback we received from December's MITRJRC attendees.

The MITRJRC is a friendly online club open to all midwives-in-training to encourage professional connection and promote continued education beyond the curriculum. Our next MITRJRC, which is on midwifery policy and practice, is happening tomorrow at 12pm.

Head to our Eventbrite to secure your free ticket: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/midirs-113286808191

16/02/2026

New on MIDIRS blog: Munira Khamis reflects on her experience as a student midwife including what drew her to midwifery, the realities of placement and the essential role of midwife mentors.

Read it now on our website: https://rcm.org.uk/blog/2026/02/becoming-a-midwife/

11/02/2026

Maternity care professionals' insights are wanted for a new study exploring workflows and tools in community care. Read the advert below:

"Hi, I’m Sam Collins. I am a final-year Industrial Design student at Sheffield Hallam University, currently conducting a short research study exploring workflow challenges and frustrations faced in community maternity care, that could be resolved through thoughtful product concepts for my Final Major Project.

If you work in community settings and can spare 5–10 minutes, your insights would be incredibly valuable. All responses are anonymous, ethically approved (SHU UREC2) and you can leave the survey at any point.

Optional: volunteer for a short online interview to share more in-depth experiences.

Thank you for supporting this work - your expertise drives better design for real needs."

Complete the survey here: https://qualtricsxmr8kbps5lh.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eKf13j6PNVrH4Y6

Contact details:
📩 : c2026662@hallam.shu.ac.uk
📞 : +44 7399 441070

Survey deadline: 27 April 2026

10/02/2026

📣Student midwives: join MIDIRS and the Midwives-in-Training Research and Journal Review Club next week for a session on policy development and critique in midwifery📣

In the session, the Royal College of Midwives' Clare Livingstone (Professional Advisor, Policy and Public Health) and Mike Indian (Political Advisor & Commentator) will present on policymaking processes, influencing and amplifying RCM members' voices.

Clare and Mike will discuss government and policy structures and processes, the importance of Parliamentary and stakeholder engagement, and the value of of individuals in ensuring decision-making is informed by professional experience and maternity practice.

Head to our Eventbrite to secure your free ticket:

Join the Midwives-in-Training Research and Journal Review Club for a live webinar on policy development and critique.

06/02/2026

Today, February 6, is the UN's International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Ge***al Mutilation (FGM). The theme for 2026 is ‘Towards 2030: No End to FGM Without Sustained Commitment and Investment’, highlighting the need for governments, communities and individuals to continue to support survivors, educate on risks and prevalence, and fight for a world without FGM.

We have chosen our Search Pack of the Month to be ‘L29: Female Ge***al Mutilation’ to promote the continued education of maternity health professionals about the latest research on FGM, aligning with this year’s theme.

Head to our website to read: https://rcm.org.uk/blog/2026/02/female-genital-mutilation-search-pack-of-the-month-february/

05/02/2026

New on MIDIRS blog: Gillian Meldrum reviews Dr Sunita Sah's book 'DEFY: the power of no in a world that demands yes' from a midwifery perspective, encouraging midwives to embrace their defiance.

Read now on our website: https://rcm.org.uk/blog/2026/02/book-review-defy-the-power-of-no-in-a-world-that-demands-yes/

04/02/2026

📣 Perinatal Health Professionals including midwives, obstetricians and neonatologists needed📣

Professor Jon Dorling and Professor Eleanor Mitchell are conducting a large trial comparing timing of cord clamping for babies born

22/01/2026

New on MIDIRS blog: our administrator Clarisse, who has a background in library services, discusses the important role that midwives play in promoting family wellbeing, and signposts readers to free resources designed to encourage reading in the community.

Head to our website (linked below) to read! 📚

https://rcm.org.uk/blog/2026/01/everything-changes-when-you-read-libraries-and-reading-to-support-health-and-wellbeing/

20/01/2026

🔔 Free webinar this Thursday 22 January at 6pm🔔

The National Maternity and Perinatal Audit (NMPA) will present the State of the Nation 2023 report, sharing a wealth of health data and providing a unique picture of birth trends and outcomes across England, Scotland and Wales.

Register here: https://buff.ly/ISIVbEV,,,

15/01/2026

MIDIRS first Search Pack of the Month in 2026 aligns with the RCM's third top research priority, centred around personalised maternity care and its importance in driving informed decision making.

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. Click the link below to read January's Search Pack of the Month: MS45 Woman-Centred Care. 💗

https://rcm.org.uk/blog/2026/01/woman-centred-care-search-pack-of-the-month-january/

13/01/2026

This year, MIDIRS turns 40 years old! 🎉

To help us celebrate 40 years of midwifery-led evidence, we are inviting MIDIRS subscribers to give us their feedback on MIDIRS products, events and services. Your feedback will help us to celebrate all that MIDIRS has achieved since 1986 and shape our services going forward.

Completing the 5-minute survey automatically enters you into a prize draw to win a MIDIRS goodie bag. Fill out the form at the link below - we can't wait to hear from you!

https://forms.office.com/e/AHBFrQH3ZY

08/01/2026

Happy New Year from Team MIDIRS! 🎉

Our first Latest Research Update of 2026 is now live, bringing you this week's maternity news and research.

Subscribers, head to your My MIDIRS portal at the link below to read your copy.

https://rcm.org.uk/login/