How our midwives deliver care
It’s International Day of the Midwife (Tuesday 5 May), and we'd like to highlight the vital role midwives play in caring for women and their families every day.
Across our Trust, 358 midwives work around the clock to provide safe, compassionate care, supporting families through some of the most important moments of their lives. We have a diverse team from 48 different countries around the world.
Marinela Laho, who grew up in Albania, wanted to become a midwife from an early age, inspired by stories of her great-great-grandmother who practised during wartime.
After moving to the UK, she worked long 12-hour shifts as a student midwife while dedicating much of her free time to studying. Now a registered midwife with four years experience with us, Marinela describes the profession as both rewarding and demanding.
Marinela said:
Being a midwife is not easy. Alongside the joy of bringing life into the world, there are also moments of loss and bereavement that stay with you.
Supporting families through these heartbreaking times has shaped me not only as a professional, but as a person, teaching me compassion and resilience.
Nurturing life is the greatest gift, and I would not trade it for anything.
Rachel Nyangezi has worked in midwifery for almost 20 years after previously spending a year as a gynaecology nurse at Harold Wood Hospital.
She is now partially retired and she continues to work two days a week with us.
Rachel often encounters women outside of work who remember her support during childbirth, which is very rewarding, especially when they introduce her to children she helped to bring into the world.
One of her most memorable experiences was being approached in a supermarket by a former patient who ran up to her and said, ‘come and see my baby now; you delivered my baby!’
She said:
It’s amazing when women recognise us years later, it’s always great seeing how their children have grown up.
Meanwhile midwife Richel Kwakye, who has been a midwife for around two and a half years, works on the antenatal ward and helps to support women throughout their inductions.
She likes to make sure every mother-to-be understands their care plan and is as comfortable as they can be during the process.
She said:
A patient was really worried about pain relief during labour, as they had a previous experience where they were in a lot of pain.
I took the time to explain all the options to her, and she later had an epidural during labour which was easier and quicker for her.