Your baby is now officially an embryo and is about the size of a poppy seed.
Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/4-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.
Spotlight on Midwifery Careers - Maternity Support Worker
Name: Stephanie French
Job Title: LMNS Framework Mapping MSW
Job Role: I am a band 3 Maternity Support Worker, currently undertaking a 6-month secondment with the LMNS where I am working on a scoping exercise across all trusts in Humber and North Yorkshire. By working with the retention/education/development midwives at each site, my role is to benchmark all Maternity Support Workers against the latest framework. I am collating information to get a picture of the whole of our workforce - to identify gaps and look at development possibilities and then report the research findings back to NHS England. I am passionate about what I do, and I am thoroughly enjoying all aspects of the role so far.
Qualifications: Qualifications: 8 GCSE’S (Grade A-C), BTEC National Diploma in Textiles and Clothing, Access to Higher Education Diploma in Healthcare (Level 3), Maternity Support Worker Development Module at Hull University (Level 4).
Career Timeline: Most of my working experiences have been within the hospitality and healthcare sector. I began working in the maternity unit at York Hospital as an MSW in 2021. My shifts were on labour ward and the antenatal/postnatal ward too. In 2023 I took on a role in community as an MSW - I worked as part of the Northeast team of midwives in York for 18 months. In November 2024 I began the MSW secondment with the LMNS.
Career Highlights: Having the opportunity to undertake my current role is one of the best parts of my career in maternity so far. I’m very passionate about the role of a Maternity Support Worker. We have a lot of skills and knowledge, and I believe that with the right level of up-to-date training, support, and encouragement, we should all feel competent and fulfilled in our role whilst working as an extremely valuable part of the team. I love being an MSW champion!
Advice to others: My advice if you are looking for a change, or when taking on any new challenge in life, would always be to believe in yourself and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone sometimes. If you want to develop at work, it’s always worth exploring other opportunities!
