Italian midwifery education has been reformed five times since 1940. The reduction in the length of the direct entry midwifery programme as introduced in the latest Italian national reform, and the higher standard of education requested also by European Directives, cause an increasing number of students to prefer to extend their course duration and postpone graduation until they feel independent. Any change in curriculum should consider the impact in the short, medium and long terms. For this reason, each new policy should consider carefully the point of view of experts in the disciplines, such as midwifery, with the objective of protecting and developing their competence in taking care of women, newborns and their families.