Blog: A lifetime in Midwifery: Honouring the past, shaping the future
Anne Watkins, Maternity Clinical Informatics Lead
July will mark the end of a chapter that has shaped my life for more than four decades. I have spent 40 years in the NHS, including 36 years as a midwife, where I have been given a raw front-row view of humanity at its most hopeful and powerful.
As I get ready for retirement, I am reflecting not only on my own journey, but on the future of a profession I am proud to have been a part of. It feels especially important this year as we mark the International Day of the Midwife and its theme ‘One Million More Midwives’.
I see midwifery as not just a career, but a calling that requires resilience and compassion, with a deep belief in the strength of women and families. Over the years, I have supported countless births, each one being unique and important. I have shared moments of great joy, standing with families at some of the most significant moments of their lives, but also navigated great uncertainty.
When I began my training, maternity care looked very different. I have seen the practice evolve, technology advance and our understanding of care develop, but the heart of midwifery remains the same. It is about trust and advocacy, caring for the person and not just supporting the birth.
Later in my career, I stepped into a different kind of leadership as Maternity Clinical Informatics Lead at Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW). In this role, I contributed to maternity care in new ways, helping shape digital systems that support safer, more effective and more compassionate care. It reinforced something I strongly believe that the future of midwifery depends not only on hands-on care, but on how well we use digital tools to support midwives and the families they care for.
The theme ‘One Million More Midwives’ around the global shortage of midwives could not be more crucial. Midwives are essential in delivering effective maternity care, saving lives and empowering women. In my opinion investing in midwives is not optional, it is fundamental to the health of communities.
After a lifetime in this profession, I understand both the rewards and the challenges. The work can be emotionally and physically demanding. It is also deeply meaningful. There is nothing quite like knowing you played a part in bringing a new life into the world. That sense of purpose has stayed with me throughout my career.
Looking ahead, I feel both hopeful and concerned. I am hopeful because I see passionate people bringing energy and new ideas as they join the profession and concern as we must do more to support them. Recruiting, training and retaining midwives is difficult in a profession that is always under pressure.
With my role now I understand that we need digital transformation that works for frontline staff, delivering systems that reduce burden, improve safety, and give midwives more time to focus on women and families.
If I could share one message with those considering midwifery, it would be that you will be making a difference in people’s lives and this is something you will never regret and to those that are already midwives, your work matters more than you may realise.
As I retire from my role I do so with gratitude, gratitude for colleagues who became lifelong friends and for the families who placed their trust in me.
International Day of the Midwife is a time to celebrate, but it is also a time to speak up. One million more midwives isn’t just a target, it is necessary for safer births, stronger families and healthier futures.
I may be retiring, but I will always be a midwife at heart.