maternity support worker
Key facts
Are you passionate about supporting women and families during a transformative time? As a maternity support worker, you'll play a vital role in providing compassionate care and assistance throughout pregnancy, labour, and the postpartum period.
Maternity support workers are integral members of a healthcare team, collaborating closely with midwives and other health professionals to ensure the wellbeing of mothers and newborns. Your days will involve providing practical and emotional support to women, assisting with various tasks, and contributing to a positive and reassuring environment during childbirth and beyond. This role requires empathy, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work effectively under pressure.
- • Providing emotional support and reassurance to women and their families.
- • Assisting midwives with clinical tasks, such as monitoring vital signs and preparing equipment.
- • Helping women with personal care and mobility during labour and postpartum.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Deeper colour: reported the same way in more consecutive years.
Figures cover Health associate professionals — 49 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Poland.
Longest-running shortage: Bulgaria, 2 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
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Could maternity support worker fit you?
Answer three quick questions. This is not a full assessment — it is a teaser to help you decide whether to compare your profile.
Do you enjoy tasks that require Concern for Others?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Stress Tolerance?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Dependability?
Future Outlook for maternity support worker
The outlook for maternity support worker is exceptionally stable. While AI tools will assist with daily tasks, the core of this role relies on human judgment, resulting in a high resilience score of 83%.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could maternity support worker change as AI adoption grows?
Human judgement, trust, and context remain strong protectors for this role.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How could maternity support worker change as AI adoption grows?
Human judgement, trust, and context remain strong protectors for this role.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- contribute to continuity of health care
- empathise with the healthcare user
- provide basic support to patients
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- examine the new-born infant
- identify abnormalities
- monitor basic patients signs
Tasks most exposed to automation
No single task here is highly automatable yet.
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Healthcare & Human Services
A typical day as a maternity support worker
09 09:00 · Morning advise on family planning
10 10:30 · Mid-morning advise on pregnancies at risk
12 12:00 · Midday advise on pregnancy
14 14:00 · Afternoon assist on pregnancy abnormality
15 15:30 · Late afternoon care for the new-born infant
17 17:00 · Wrap-up comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
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pregnancy
The process related to conception and development of the fetus in the mother`s womb, the symptoms of pregnancy, risks and complications, diseases and timing of childbirth.
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anaesthetics
Anaesthetics is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.
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analgesics
The types of medication used to relief pain in various medical cases.
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embryology
The normal development of the embryo, the aetiology of developmental anomalies such as genetic aspects and organogenesis and the natural history of abnormalities diagnosed before birth.
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microbiology-bacteriology
Microbiology-Bacteriology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.
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neonatology
The branch of paediatric medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of the new-born.
- childbirth
- health education
- human anatomy
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advise on family planning
Provide advice on the use of birth control and methods of contraception available, on sexual education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted diseases, pre-conception counselling and fertility management.
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advise on pregnancy
Counsel patients on normal changes occurring in pregnancy, providing advice on nutrition, drug effects and other lifestyle changes.
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advise on pregnancies at risk
Identify and provide advice on the early signs of risk pregnancies.
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interact with healthcare users
Communicate with clients and their carer’s, with the patient’s permission, to keep them informed about the clients’ and patients’ progress and safeguarding confidentiality.
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comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice
Apply quality standards related to risk management, safety procedures, patients feedback, screening and medical devices in daily practice, as they are recognized by the national professional associations and authorities.
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comply with legislation related to health care
Comply with the regional and national health legislation which regulates relations between suppliers, payers, vendors of the healthcare industry and patients, and the delivery of healthcare services.
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ensure safety of healthcare users
Make sure that healthcare users are being treated professionally, effectively and safe from harm, adapting techniques and procedures according to the person's needs, abilities or the prevailing conditions.
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work in a multicultural environment in health care
Interact, relate and communicate with individuals from a variety of different cultures, when working in a healthcare environment.
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work with nursing staff
Work together with nurses and other health professionals in supporting the delivery of basic patient care.
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work in multidisciplinary health teams
Participate in the delivery of multidisciplinary health care, and understand the rules and competences of other healthcare related professions.
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identify abnormalities
Identify what is normal and abnormal concerning the well-being of patients, through experience and instruction, reporting to the nurses what is abnormal.
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monitor basic patients signs
Monitor and analyse basic patient vital signs as vital signs of heart, respiration, and blood pressure. Take action by reporting them to the nurse.
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provide postnatal care
Provide care to the mother and the new-born child following birth, ensuring that the new-born and the mother are healthy and that the mother is capable of taking care of her new-born.
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assist on pregnancy abnormality
Support the mother in case of abnormality signs during the pregnancy period and call the doctor in emergency cases.
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contribute to continuity of health care
Contribute to the delivery of coordinated and continuous healthcare.
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examine the new-born infant
Perform a neonatal examination to identify any danger signs, to assess the normal adaptations of a newborn after birth and to identify birth defects or birth trauma.
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empathise with the healthcare user
Understand the background of clients` and patients’ symptoms, difficulties and behaviour. Be empathetic about their issues; showing respect and reinforcing their autonomy, self-esteem and independence. Demonstrate a concern for their welfare and handle according to the personal boundaries, sensitivities, cultural differences and preferences of the client and patient in mind.
Skill DNA
Work personality traits and values that define this role
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Where does maternity support worker fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of training or qualifications do I need to become a maternity support worker?
- While specific requirements can vary, many employers prefer candidates with a relevant qualification, such as a Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care or equivalent. On-the-job training is often provided, and a genuine interest in supporting women and families is essential.
- What skills are particularly important for this role?
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills are crucial, as is the ability to remain calm and empathetic under pressure. Observation skills, attention to detail, and a willingness to learn are also highly valued. The key work styles associated with this role highlight the importance of collaboration, problem-solving, and attention to detail.
- What does a typical career path look like for a maternity support worker?
- Many maternity support workers progress to more senior roles within the maternity unit, such as senior maternity support worker or assistant midwife. Further training and education can open up opportunities for career advancement within nursing or midwifery.
- Maternity Support Worker — is there a shortage in Europe?
- Yes. In the 2025 ELA/EURES edition, a shortage was reported in 4 of the 5 European countries that assessed this occupation group: Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Poland. Bulgaria has reported one for 2 consecutive years. These assessments are published per occupation group rather than per job title.
- Maternity Support Worker — what does it pay in the United States?
- $64,030 a year at the median, as of 2025-05. State medians run from $35,270 to $113,640. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a United States figure and not a projection for Europe.