PURPOSE:
To explore the causes of midwife burnout and share insights on creating sustainable, supportive environments that nurture midwives’ wellbeing and sustain the midwifery workforce essential to global maternal health.

DISCUSSION:
Midwives face emotional and physical exhaustion due to high workloads, limited support, and systemic disconnect from the relational and holistic care at the heart of midwifery. Many leave not from lack of passion, but because current structures undermine their ability to practice in alignment with their values. Achieving sustainability requires a paradigm shift involving hospital administrators, universities, and the childbearing public. A campaign from families demanding increased access to midwifery care can apply pressure on policymakers and healthcare leaders to ensure a midwife for every patient—because every patient deserves one. This highlights both the quality and system-wide benefits of midwifery-led care, strengthening midwives’ resilience and reconnecting them with their work’s meaning.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
Burnout is a documented global challenge driving midwives from practice globally. Research shows that manageable workloads, emotional support, and professional autonomy improve retention. Programs fostering community, mentorship, and autonomy correlate with better wellbeing and sustainability outcomes. Furthermore, evidence underscores the cost-effectiveness of midwife-led care compared to traditional obstetric coverage, benefiting health systems financially and operationally.

KEY MESSAGE:
To realize One Million More Midwives, the global community must champion sustainable, midwifery training and practice environments, as well as systemic change. Lawmakers need to be swayed to view midwifery as a means to provide excellent quality maternity services while reducing overall burden to the health care system. Preventing burnout safeguards midwives’ wellbeing, ensures quality maternal care, and promotes a sustainable midwife-led care model that benefits families and health systems worldwide. Workforce - sustainability 2 (including three-minute presentation competition)