what is your opinion on uniforms for midwives

My DIL works for the National Blood Service, and a friend of hers, who is a nurse, was rather put out as their old uniforms were either very similar or even more ‘senior’ looking than hers.

I think they have different ones now.

Personally, I think it would be much easier to work out who’s who if they had individual uniforms, but perhaps that would be more expensive.

At one of my first ante-natal classes at Queen Mary’s Roehampton, in 1973 a whole session was devoted to identifying grades of nurses.
Anybody who trained at the Westminster or Queen Mary’s may be able to correct me if I get this wrong, but I think it went like this-
Student nurses,; pale blue dresses, white aprons, black stockings/tights, simple caps. To be addressed as “Nurse”
Staff nurses: pale blue dresses , flesh coloured tights, plain aprons but frilly caps. To be addressed as “Staff”
Ward Sisters, dark blue dresses , flesh coloured stockings, white aprons, but frilly caps- to be addressed as “Sister”
Heaven help you if you got it wrong even in the throes of labour !
That said, the student nurses who were bussed out from the Westminster each morning were lovely girls, mostly very “Hone Counties” , immaculately turned out at crack of dawn, hair up in buns and beautifully made up.
I can’t remember if the midwives wore a different colour, maybe grey? but nowadays don’t they wear pink scrubs to distinguish them from other nurses in pale blue?
Medical students were immediately distinguishable by a permanently worried look, rumpled appearance and of course white coats and a stethoscope while consultants were preceded by choirs of angels and hovered several inches above the ground.

The last thing I was worried about when giving birth was the uniform of the midwife, I havent a clue what she was wearing. I think there are many other things to focus on with regards to maternity care.

Scrubs seem to be the most practical to me different colours if they need to be distinguished from other staff.

My midwife didn't have a uniform, just wore whatever she wanted. I think a uniform would be practical though and good to help identify staff.

I joined the NHS in 1965 as a cadet nurse, in those days all the uniforms were distinguished easily so all hospital staff and patients knew who the staff were. As I progressed over the years to student nurse years 1,2,3, and then staff nurse then senior staff nurse junior ward sister then ward sister in charge then midwife / senior midwife. The uniforms became less and less distinctive less professional looking and scruffy. In my opinion
all staff should have their own colour uniforms across the whole of the NHS with nurse / staff nurse / HCA / midwife printed on the uniforms back and front with a Velcro strip where the member of staff can attach their name and rank on.
The NHS has wasted billions of pounds over the years paying private companies of politicians friends to take over service’s that the NHS was doing far better than the private companies do now. The net result is the NHS has been run down more and more and how the staff are dressed has been ignored. We used to be so proud of our appearance and the hospital matrons would point out if we were not dressed correctly.

If you are not sure when in doubt address a nurse as sister was the old adage I was taught. It would only be helpful to have different uniforms for different grades if the general public know what they mean and not just other hospital staff.

I enjoyed my various uniforms from my nursing days. It saved you worrying about what to wear and they washed well so you could have a clean one every day. I think it depends on the tasks you are doing. I'm not a midwife but if I were in the delivery room scrubs would be the most practical. If seeing someone at home then uniform isn't necessary but is is washable which a business suit or other clothes many not be. I'm in favour of name badges with designation.

There is a national uniform for NHS staff in Scotland. Tunic - different colours for different staff groups - and trousers. It is difficult to tell which colour designates which staff group apart even when you work for the NHS. You know your own group's colours but not necessarily anyone else. They are easy to wash and do not require ironed. Some groups wear polo shirts instead. Doctors still wear their white coats though many of them are in scrubs now. It's a lot different from when I train in the 70's when I had a dress, collar, cuffs, belt and a hat! Much easier to clean and less time to get ready.

It is helpful to the woman in labour if the midwife looks as if she has some authority. I bet no midwife wears stilettos, or a lot of visible tattoos and body piercings, or an old fashioned evening dress, and so on.

However most members of the public can interpret normal professional attire without the full panoply of little hats and special colours.

Alexa said ‘I bet no midwife wears [...] an old fashioned evening dress, and so on.’

When my second son was born in a small hospital in a remote area overseas, the staff were all at a party when I arrived in late labour. The doctor had time to put scrubs on over his suit, but the two midwives were in full evening dress. It was all rather jolly

That sounds like fun geekeese. My midwife wore leggings/comfortable trousers and a tshirt.

A midwife is there to be "with woman". Indeed , that's where the title originates. I would not have wanted my midwife to have looked authoritative. I would have liked her to look as though she had skills and empathy!

There is TOO MUCH authority in the midwifery system it seems!

I think that covid will change things in hospitals a lot as many hospital staff groups have gone into scrubs which can be drawn from a common store, changed as often as is needful and washed centrally. Uniforms that are used and laundered by the individual are a pain as each person can only have so many because of the cost and mostly you have to do your own laundry so as to have it when you need it and be sure it won't get lost. My own community team all wore the same uniform of navy trousers and white NHS logo'ed polo shirts. We would have all loved to have had enough uniform to use the hospitals laundry system but couldn't afford it and its still not really on to walk through the streets to people's houses in scrubs.
I don't think it matters telling who is who. If they are treating you or a relative then they will introduce themselves, although I agree a large print name badge is helpful as well as any required ID.
I am honestly not sure (and I am 67) what the issue with piercings and tatts is? When i retired 13 years ago, there were infection control rules on jewellery wearing, surely nothing else is needed?

While scrubs seem a perfect solution for midwives working on the labour suite, there are many situations and venues where midwives need something more substantial. I'm thinking here of community midwives trudging through all weathers to women's homes. Or midwives working in health centres and GP surgeries.

Its a tough one really. Midwives come in all shapes and sizes and do all manner of tasks. Uniforms need to be fairly modest, flexible and practical. Not sure whether that needs to be national. As a student nurse my uniform was the 1970's national uniform. Thick, stiff nylon material with hems and cuffs that scrapped flesh and tights. Hot, sticky and deeply unflattering to all. They did wash well though. Ha Ha

My medic daughter has only worn scrubs for the past year, same as all the staff in her hospital. They need to introduce new sizes, though. My dd is tiny and even the smallest size scrubs drown her - she looks like a waif!

I noticed on the one occasion I’ve been into my local surgery this last year that the reception staff all now wear pink blouses. There are a couple of men who work there too, but I didn’t see them - I’d like to know if they wear pink shirts.

I worked for 17 years as a ward clerk on a delivery suite. Our midwives wore either a navy dress trimmed with pink or a tunic of the same colour with navy trousers for clinics or community visits. On the delivery suite they always wore scrubs. They need something that allows freedom of movement. They can get in some strange positions to deliver a baby! These were changed after each delivery and they also had to change if they were leaving the delivery suite for lunch.

Not Spaghetti wrote:

"A midwife is there to be "with woman". Indeed , that's where the title originates. I would not have wanted my midwife to have looked authoritative. I would have liked her to look as though she had skills and empathy!"

Skills and empathy are the heart of true authority.

PS, as Geekesse relates, the clothes they wear may be irrelevant in unusual cases. I bet Geekeese is and was at the time an experienced woman of the world. However most women are impressed by superficial appearances especially when we are vulnerable.

I think we see things differently Alexa.

I do not want authority in a midwife.

Neither do I think it's true that most women are impressed by superficial appearances especially when we are vulnerable.

When I am vulnerable, (and in this context we were talking about midwifery services), I don't much care what people wear so long as it's clean! My least favourite option would be to have them looking like doctors and nurses. That, to me, implies my birth has moved from the "normal" to the "abnormal" and interventions are now necessary.

My very best pre-natal and birth care had no "special clothes" associated with it.

Sure, giving birth and being born should not automatically be medicalised. However a midwife should be able to show that she (or he) has the authority of knowledge and experience. Clothing is not only for keeping warm and decent, it's also for what it means socially.

I think we will have to agree to disagree on this Alexa

SueDonim My son-in-law likes wearing shirts and polos in different colours including pink. It is said that it was known as a boy’s colour and blue for a girl until W11.

my brother's best friend wore a smart pink suit in the late 1960s.
i remember it, very stylish. guess he saw himself as a pop star.