Call the Lead Perinatal Practitioner! Researchers urge more inclusive renaming of 'midwife' as term 'upholds the patriarchy' and its use 'subordinates all who give birth'

For centuries millions of women have had reason to thank midwives for their vital role on one of the most important days of their life. The research, titled From Midwife To Lead Perinatal Practitioner: A Utopian Vision, refers to a 'birthing person' or 'pregnant body' instead of a woman and argues a name change is needed as 'trans and non-binary people increasingly require access to midwifery services'. It adds: 'The presence of gender-diverse people accessing "maternity" services disrupts such norms, because it forces us to confront how words like "midwife," "midwifery," and "maternity" are excluding, for example, of trans and non-binary people. A move away from the title of "Midwife" to "Lead Perinatal Practitioner" would be trailblazing in reducing inequalities through the deconstruction of harmful patriarchal constructs and decolonisation.' Researchers have called for midwives to be renamed as 'lead perinatal practitioners' in order to be more inclusive of transgender mothers Critics have pointed out the title 'midwife' is globally recognisable and say changing it could be damaging A fellow of the Royal College of Midwives has written a paper to be treated as a 'blueprint' for the role to become more gender-neutral Dr Sally Pezaro, a fellow of the Royal College of Midwives and Nursing and Midwifery Council panel member, and Dr John Pendleton, a midwife and lecturer in midwifery at the University of Northampton, wrote the paper.