Alison worked as a nurse for a year before applying to do a degree in midwifery. She says the variety of opportunities for NHS midwives can be daunting but allowed her to direct her own career path.

While training to become a nurse, Jamie chose placements in gynaecology and maternity. He worked as a general nurse for 18 months and then applied to Greenwich University to do a diploma in midwifery.

Melvin was a business studies student when a friend who worked as an A&E nurse encouraged him to look into nursing because he asked so many questions about her job. He subsequently trained to become a midwife.

Karen is the manager responsible for the emergency department, cancer care and medicine and elderly care at a major hospital trust, with over 1110 staff and a budget of £62 million.

Rachel joined a midwifery diploma course straight after leaving school at the age of 18. She benefited from excellent mentoring and values the teamwork on labour wards.

After studying for her degree in midwifery, Sue qualified in September 2004. She says that midwifery is hard work and the role can be brutal and beautiful in equal measures.

Joy qualified as a midwife in 1981 but left the profession three years later to set up her own business. She missed the caring side of midwifery and returned to practice 15 years later.