By John Sellwood
•
31 Mar, 2020
There’s been talk over recent days about the need for greater access to PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) for midwives working in the community, and rightly so. A midwife's bubble can easily extend into dozens of homes where women are no doubt anxious already about pregnancy and birth during a time of pandemic. As the frontline support for mothers and babies during an extraordinary time of both risk and reward, midwives are guardians of a new generation and deserve every protection we can provide. Often overlooked, these hardworking dedicated women can easily go unnoticed until something goes wrong; like now. Professionals with three or more years of obstetrics and nursing training, midwives are an assurance and protection for a healthy young New Zealand. Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to spend a fews days following different midwives as they went about their daily work here in Canterbury - so forgive me if I wax lyrical. When you hear a first time mum’s uncertainty around her pregnancy and listen to her reach out for reassurance over what is normal and what’s not, you understand why midwives matter. When you see a mum with her newborn discussing changes in her baby’s weight or behaviour, her concerns over sleep or feeding; you know why midwives matter. When a woman grasps her partner's hand during labour while a strong confident voice tells her to push, rallying, supporting, reassuring; then you know why a midwife matters. When you see a newborn placed in their exhausted mother’s arms for the first time and recognise that child’s vulnerability and need; you know why a midwife matters. They talk about the first thousand days defining a child's life and clearly that starts with midwives and mums. The short video above captures a working day for Bex, a midwife in North Canterbury. It was filmed as part of a recent campaign calling for improvements to current employment terms and conditions for midwives as seen below.