Inspirational Women in Midwifery Today

Ever felt like you needed a little extra inspiration day to day? Need a boost of realisation that not all student midwives are getting A's and working through 12 hour shifts like a breeze and that even some midwives are feeling stretched in the workplace.

Well here is a list of inspirational midwives and student midwives to follow on twitter / to research / and to look up their books...

1. Sheena Byrom @sagefemmeSB
I met Sheena at the MAMA Conference 2016 and she signed my copy of ROAR. I was definitely fan girling. She gave an amazing talk on midwifery led units and I knew that Sheena's sense of midwifery care and passion for the profession would be something I could align myself with as a student midwife. Sheena and her daughter Anna (also a midwife) tweet at @byromandbyrom and have a great website for all things midwifery. They've also just purchased The Practising Midwife journal so keep your eyes peeled for all new things

2. Hannah Dahlen @hannahdahlen
I also saw Hannah talk for the first time at the MAMA Conference 2016 and her talk on homebirth in Australia really inspired me. She  is an amazing tweeter blogger and currently a Professor of Midwifery in Australia.

3. Jenny @jennythem
I started following Jenny on twitter when I first became a student midwife and her love for skin to skin is inspiring and her poems about life as a midwife are honest and fun to read.

4. Charlene Cole @charleneSTMW
Charlene started the RCM campaign #GetYourTweetOn and has helped promote social media usage within midwifery to help connect similar minds and share information and discussions on a range of midwifery topics. She is also part of the #WeMidwives community and has hosted great chats on twitter. If you are new to midwifery tweeting as a first year student midwife - go follow Charlene!

5.  Diane Menage @dianethemidwife
I have read a good deal of Diane's research and she is a great advocate in midwifery for compassionate care from the perspective of women and mothers.

6. Sara Wickham @DrSaraWickham
Sara is a midwife, speaker, author and researcher with an amazing website looking at current research and asking all those little questions that may have also been playing on your mind. I have attended one of her study days and it was both informational and extremely empowering.

7 & 8. Denis Walsh @deniswalsh4 and Michel Odent @michelodent
The two men on my list! Although I respect a lot more. Denis doesn't tweet much but he is a regular at conferences, study days and pregnancy and birth podcast #Sprogcast. He undertakes a lot of research so his name may sound familiar. Michel has written over 12 books and introduced the concept of birthing pools in maternity hospitals.

9. Amanda Burleigh @optimalclamping
Amanda is an inspiration! She took a topic she had passion for and is now a lead campaigner for optimal cord clamping across the UK and promotes the #waitforwhite campaign. Her passion and voice has now made optimal cord clamping recognised across UK trusts and is actively promoted and practised in many!

And so many more midwifery inspirations, here are few more for you to research;

Lesley Page @LesleyPageRCM
Mary Renfrew @maryrenfrew
Dr. Susan Crowther @SusanCrowtherRM
Cathy Warwick @CathyWRCM
Ina May Gaskin
Shelia Kitzinger
Mary Cronk


Who is the midwife that inspires you?

Ruth x

twitter:@ruth_stmw