Edinburgh Napier University

  We have used feminist activist ethnography as a framework for student midwives to explore women's birth narratives and identify issues that arise in contemporary childbirth in Scotland.

By positioning women at the heart of the students experiences a space is created for students to explore their own working practices and developing professional identities as they prepare to qualify as midwives.

The paper looks at how a close relationship between the pregnancy and parenting charity and the university has had a positive impact on the midwifery curriculum. We will discuss how student midwives are encouraged to critically reflect on key themes within women's childbirth experiences and how this fosters a re examination of their own midwifery belief systems. As a result of this collaborative approach students are able to express their findings through a range of creative mediums that provide both reflexive and reflective opportunities.