juno midwives

An independent midwife (IM) is a self-employed, qualified and registered midwife who has chosen to work outside of the NHS. IMs have done the same university degree as NHS midwives and are registered with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). Many will have worked within the NHS at some point during their career, but some go straight into independent midwifery after qualifying. IMs may choose to offer antenatal, labour & birth and postnatal care – they can offer these services individually or offer the full scope of pregnancy care. Women and birthing people can book with an IM from the moment they find out they’re pregnant or they can book part way into their pregnancy.

why choose an independent midwife?

Some people choose to book an IM because they want the same, trusted midwife throughout their pregnancy and birth journey. Some choose it because they want to have a homebirth and their local NHS maternity unit doesn’t offer this service or staff shortages make it difficult to ensure a midwife would be able to go out to them at home. Some people have had a previous traumatic birth experience in the hospital system and choose to birth out of the system for subsequent births. Some people wish to have care that is considered ‘outside of guidelines’ and don’t feel supported by their maternity team in their choices, so choose to find an IM who can support their choices. There are many reasons why people choose an IM!

do i still have access to NHS maternity services?

Choosing an IM does not exclude people from NHS care if they want or need it. IMs have the same referral rights as NHS midwives, this means that if they need to, they can refer you to members of the multidisciplinary team within the NHS (e.g. an obstetric doctor, an anaesthetist, a consultant midwife, a neonatal doctor). If an IM has concerns about a woman or baby’s wellbeing, they’ll discuss this with them and make the appropriate recommendation – this could be to attend the local maternity triage or having a review with an obstetrician. It is ultimately the woman or birthing person’s choice if they wish to follow any recommendations made.

how does the insurance work?

It is a legal requirement for midwives to have indemnity insurance for their practice. For NHS midwives, this insurance is covered by the hospital they work in. IMs are required to access this insurance individually. Until last summer, there was only one insurance option available for IMs who wanted to provide the full scope of midwifery care, including labour care. There is now a new indemnity insurance product on the market, thanks to ZEST – which is fabulous news for independent midwives and women and birthing people. 

is there any benefit to having an IM?

Independent midwifery is not above the law – all midwives are regulated and must abide by the NMC Code of Conduct. IMs, however, are not bound by hospital policies or appointment times – which means they have the time to provide truly individualised care. It is a way of working that allows midwives to truly be ‘with woman’ (the definition of the word ‘midwife’), to build trusting relationships that result in excellent outcomes for women, birthing people, and babies. Choosing to have an IM is an investment – the way someone is treated and cared for during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period can have enduring effects on the wellbeing of them and their baby. Choosing an IM gives people a greater chance of that effect being a positive one. Pregnancy is special and sacred, and women and birthing people deserve to be treated as such. The dream is that one day, everyone will be able to have access to an IM if they want one.

Further reading

‘Independent Midwifery is Back!’ Sarah Fitzsimmons, 2022