What is NMC Revalidation for Midwives?
Revalidation is the process every nurse, midwife, and nursing associate on the NMC register must complete every three years to renew their registration. The requirements are the same across all three professions: there is no separate "midwife revalidation" process. You follow the same rules, fill in the same forms, and submit through the same MyNMC portal.
But your context is different. Midwives work in different settings than most nurses. Your day-to-day practice, the types of CPD you access, and the reflective accounts you write will naturally reflect midwifery. That is what this guide covers: the standard revalidation process applied to midwifery practice.
The NMC currently registers over 860,000 professionals. Of those, roughly 52,000 are midwives. That is a relatively small audience, which is exactly why most revalidation content online is written for nurses first and midwives as an afterthought. This guide is written for you from the start.
The 6 Requirements
The NMC requires six things for every revalidation submission. These haven't changed for midwives in 2026:
| Requirement | What You Need |
|---|---|
| Practice hours | 450 hours of midwifery practice in 3 years (900 if dual registered) |
| CPD hours | 35 hours total, at least 20 participatory |
| Reflective accounts | 5 written accounts linked to the Code |
| Practice-related feedback | 1 piece of feedback from a colleague, patient, or manager |
| Reflective discussion | 1 discussion with an NMC-registered professional |
| Confirmation | Sign-off from a confirmer |
That is the complete list. No hidden extra requirements for midwives, no different forms. The difference is in how you meet each one in a midwifery context.
Practice Hours: 450 (or 900 if Dual Registered)
The NMC requires a minimum of 450 hours of registered practice over three years. If you are a midwife only, that is 450 hours. If you are dual registered as a nurse and a midwife, you need 900 hours: 450 for nursing and 450 for midwifery.
Triple registration (nurse, midwife, nursing associate) requires 1,350 hours. This is rare but the rule exists.
What counts as practice hours for a midwife? The same broad definition that applies to nurses. Any time you rely on your skills, knowledge, and experience as a registered midwife counts. This includes:
- Direct antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care
- Leading or coordinating a maternity ward or unit
- Supervising student midwives
- Teaching midwifery skills or running training sessions
- Participating in clinical governance or midwifery policy work
- Working in a midwifery-led unit or consultant-led unit
- Community midwifery, including home births
The key test: were you working within your registration as a midwife? If yes, the hours count.
CPD: What Counts for Midwives
You need 35 hours of CPD over three years, with at least 20 hours being participatory. Participatory means you learned with others in an interactive setting, not by reading alone.
Here is what midwifery CPD often looks like:
Participatory CPD examples (20+ hours)
- PROMPT training (obstetric emergency drills)
- CTG interpretation workshops
- Breastfeeding support or infant feeding study days
- Safeguarding training with scenario-based assessments
- Resuscitation Council (UK) newborn life support updates
- Water birth or home birth skills updates
- Local trust maternity mandatory training days
- RCM conferences or study events
Non-participatory CPD examples
- Reading the RCM journal or Evidence Based Midwifery articles
- Completing e-learning modules on the RCM i-learn platform or NHS Learning Hub
- Watching midwifery webinars or recorded conference sessions
- Reading the latest NMC guidance on midwifery standards
- Reviewing the Ockenden report or MBRRACE-UK reports
The 35-hour total is an average of under 12 hours per year. If you do one study day per year (usually 7+ hours) and some e-learning, you will exceed the requirement easily.
Writing Reflective Accounts as a Midwife
This is where most midwives struggle: not because reflection is hard, but because every example you find online uses nursing scenarios. A reflective account about an A&E triage experience is not useful when you work on a delivery suite.
Here are three reflective account examples written in a midwifery context. Each follows the required 5-element NMC format: what the activity was, what you learned, how practice changed, the Code link, and next steps.
Example 1: CPD — PROMPT Training (Theme 3: Preserve Safety)
What was the CPD or practice experience?
Annual PROMPT (Practical Obstetric Multi-Professional Training) day at my trust. Half-day simulation drills including shoulder dystocia, postpartum haemorrhage, and eclampsia.
What did you learn from it?
The shoulder dystocia drill highlighted that my team's communication was slower than it should be. In the debrief, we realised we weren't clearly calling out each manoeuvre before starting it. The simulation showed us that hesitation cost about 40 seconds of the 5-minute window. I learned that clear, structured team communication is as important as the clinical steps themselves.
How did you change or improve your practice?
I now lead the team through a brief "who, what, communication plan" before starting any emergency drill in real practice. In PPH scenarios, I call out blood loss estimates in real time rather than keeping them in my head. The debrief is now a habit, not an afterthought.
How is this relevant to the Code?
Directly relates to Theme 3 (Preserve Safety) and Theme 4 (Promote Professionalism and Trust): team communication and shared learning.
What are your next steps?
Book the follow-up PROMPT refresher in 6 months. Share the communication protocol with new starters on the unit.
Example 2: Practice Feedback — Postnatal Care Comment (Theme 2: Practise Effectively)
What was the CPD or practice experience?
A new mother on my caseload mentioned she appreciated that I "explained everything but didn't rush her decision" about infant feeding. She said a previous midwife had made her feel pressured to formula feed when she was struggling with breastfeeding.
What did you learn from it?
I thought I was already doing this well, but the feedback made me actively check in with each mother about the quality of my communication: not just whether I gave information, but whether I gave space for her to process it. There is a difference between informing and overwhelming.
How did you change or improve your practice?
I now use a more structured approach to postnatal feeding conversations. I ask, "Would you like me to explain the options, or would you rather tell me what you already know and I can fill in the gaps?" It shifts the dynamic from teaching to partnership.
How is this relevant to the Code?
Theme 2 (Practise Effectively): person-centred care and shared decision making.
What are your next steps?
Discuss this approach at the next team meeting. Consider a quality improvement project on informed feeding discussions.
Example 3: Practice Experience — Unexpected Breech Birth (Theme 1: Prioritise People)
What was the CPD or practice experience?
Attended an unexpected breech birth in a midwifery-led unit. The mother had declined transfer to consultant-led care and wanted to continue with the physiological breech birth pathway we had discussed antenatally.
What did you learn from it?
I learned the difference between knowing the physiological breech birth theory and being in the room when it happens. The mother's calm changed the tone of the entire room. She had done her research, made her decision, and trusted us to support her. My role was to stay confident, reduce unnecessary intervention, and trust the physiology.
How did you change or improve your practice?
I now include a brief breech discussion in every birth preferences conversation, explaining the options and the evidence, so nobody is unprepared. I also practice physiological breech birth scenarios more frequently.
How is this relevant to the Code?
Theme 1 (Prioritise People): respecting autonomy, informed decision-making, and advocacy. Theme 3 (Preserve Safety): recognising limits of the MLU environment and knowing when transfer is needed.
What are your next steps?
Complete the RCM physiological breech birth e-learning module. Volunteer to be part of the breech birth skills drill facilitator team.
The Reflective Discussion
Your reflective discussion must be with another NMC-registered professional. It can be a midwife, nurse, or nursing associate. The NMC does not require them to be on the same part of the register, though the discussion is most useful when you share a clinical context.
For most midwives, the natural choice is another midwife in your trust, unit, or caseload team. If you work in an isolated community midwifery role, you can have the discussion with a midwife from a neighbouring trust, a midwifery manager, or even a nurse who understands your practice context.
The discussion itself should cover your five reflective accounts, your CPD, your feedback, and your practice hours. It is not a test. It is a conversation about your professional development.
Your Confirmer
Your confirmer can be any registered professional who has a line management or supervisory relationship with you. They do not need to be a midwife. For most midwives, the confirmer is a matron, midwifery manager, supervisor, or clinical lead.
If you are a self-employed independent midwife, your confirmer could be a consultant midwife, a midwife within a local trust who oversees your practice, or your professional indemnity provider's clinical governance lead.
Dual Registered Nurse and Midwife: What's Different
If you hold dual registration, the single biggest practical difference is the 900-hour practice requirement. You need 450 hours of nursing practice and 450 hours of midwifery practice. You can track them separately or together, but you must be able to demonstrate you met both minimums.
The other requirements (CPD, reflective accounts, feedback, reflective discussion, confirmation) remain the same. You do not need 10 reflective accounts or 70 hours of CPD. The NMC treats it as one revalidation, not two.
The key risk with dual registration: if you can only evidence 450 of the 900 required hours, you may not meet the requirement for both parts. The NMC guidance on multiple registrations and additional qualifications covers this in detail.
Timeline: When to Start
Your revalidation application date is set by the NMC. It appears in your MyNMC account. Your application opens 60 days before this date. Here is the practical timeline for midwives:
| Time Before Deadline | What to Do |
|---|---|
| 12 months out | Check your practice hours against the total. If working part-time or reduced hours, calculate whether you need to adjust your schedule. |
| 6 months out | Check your CPD log. You should have at least 25 hours. Book any study days you still need. |
| 4 months out | Write your reflective accounts. Use real experiences from the last three years, not last-minute fabrications. |
| 3 months out | Record your feedback. Have the conversation and document it. |
| 2 months out | Book and complete your reflective discussion. |
| 60 days out | Your online application opens. Share your portfolio with your confirmer for sign-off. |
| Submission day | Submit through MyNMC. Done for another 3 years. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is revalidation different for midwives than nurses?
No. The process, requirements, and forms are identical. The difference is only in the clinical context of your reflective accounts and CPD. This guide addresses that context.
How many practice hours do midwives need?
450 hours in 3 years if midwife only. 900 hours (450 nursing + 450 midwifery) if dual registered. 1,350 hours for triple registration (nurse, midwife, nursing associate).
Can my reflective discussion be with a nurse?
Yes. They must be NMC-registered. A reflective discussion with a midwifery colleague is ideal, but a nurse who understands your role is acceptable.
Can I use the same portfolio for nursing and midwifery revalidation?
Yes, because it is one revalidation on one register. Your single portfolio covers both registrations, provided you meet the practice hours for both parts.
What if I only work as a midwife but hold dual registration?
If you only practise as a midwife, you still need to evidence 450 midwifery hours. You cannot meet the 900-hour requirement with midwifery hours alone. You would need to declare the nursing part as not practised, or complete a return to practice programme before working as a nurse again.
Does maternity leave affect revalidation?
Yes, but not in the way you might expect. The NMC still expects you to revalidate on time, but time off counts toward your practice hours gap. If you have taken maternity leave, you may need fewer than 450 practice hours if the NMC grants an adjustment. Contact the NMC directly for individual circumstances.
What if I work in the community and don't have a line manager to confirmer?
You can use a consultant midwife, a midwifery manager from a neighbouring trust, or your professional lead. An independent midwife may use their clinical governance lead or an NMC-registered supervisor of midwives.