“People tend to do a double take when I walk into the delivery suite. Most are surprised to find that their midwife is a man.”
As one of less than 200 male midwives in the UK, and just 4 in Greater Manchester, Dan Minton usually gets some kind of reaction when he arrives to assist with a birth. Mostly inquisitive, generally positive but sometimes reluctant and resistant.
“It really does depend. Sometimes people are intrigued because male midwives are rare and it’s a bit of a novelty. They want to know all about me and why I chose this career. And some don’t really seem to notice and are more focussed on the task in hand!
“And of course there are women who don’t want a male midwife, usually for cultural reasons. When this happens, their preferences are respected and I will make sure I help on the ward in other ways. There’s always something to do.”
Dan, 23, recently celebrated his one-year anniversary as a qualified midwife and has already safely delivered 11 babies. This is in addition to the 40 births he assisted with as a student.
Having trained at John Moore’s University in Liverpool, with placements at hospitals in Chester and the Wirral, Dan joined Saint Mary’s Manchester as part of a cohort of 25 newly qualified midwifes. He was the only male among them.
“In the last year I have rotated through different parts of maternity including ante-natal and post-natal-care, as well as the delivery suite. As a student midwife you’re very closely supported so working more independently takes some getting used to.
“But I’ve had some amazing support, including from a more experienced male midwife in the team, and from senior midwives and doctors. It’s been a rollercoaster but in a good way!”
Dan’s first solo birth came earlier this year: “My first birth was a good one. The woman was a student midwife herself so that was pretty helpful because she was already very well-versed about what was going to happen! It was a wonderful experience and I was walking on air when I left work the next morning.”
He added: “People tend to do a double take when I walk into the delivery suite, most are surprised to find that their midwife is a man. But I work hard to find common ground and a rapport with women because we’re about to go through something really special together.
“I get a few people saying they’re honoured to have a male midwife because it’s so rare. It makes me feel really valued that people are excited to have me. It’s a real boost.”
Dan, originally from Bromborough, Wirral, and now living in Manchester, had always wanted to work in healthcare and considered training as a doctor. However, midwifery was on his radar because his sister had previously been interested in the profession and the opportunity to support women to have a positive birth experience appealed to him.
He said: “My favourite days are the days that I get to work closely with women and babies. I try to empower all women to help make the best decisions for them and support them to do have the most natural organic birth that they can.”
Bev O’Connor, Head of Midwifery at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), said: “Dan has brought a fresh perspective to our service and it’s been great to see the impact of his contribution. His positive energy and commitment to patient care reflect the qualities we value most in our teams.
“Having a workforce that includes people from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences in important and makes us better placed to understand women’s needs and provide well-rounded care. Colleagues like Dan help demonstrate the value that diversity brings to our organisation and to the work we do every day.”
