Today (Tuesday 5 May) is International Day of the Midwife; a time for midwives across the world to be celebrated and recognised for the care they provide to women, babies and their families. We spoke to Esther Hayward, who has been a midwife at our Trust for four years, about how this year is being marked differently.

“On previous years we’ve had cake sales going on the hospital, and because it’s an international event, big conferences have usually taken place. This year will be different, with webinars and virtual conferences so it’s great that we can still tap into these.”

As well as celebrations for the day, the role of our midwifery staff has changed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“At the moment it can be difficult for women with visitor restrictions, which means one birthing partner can be with a woman during labour only. Some mums can find it daunting to have their partner leave afterwards. Where women have a straight-forward labour we try to get them home as soon as they’re able to, so they’re back at home with their families quicker.”

“It can be particularly difficult for women if their partner has symptoms of Covid-19 so they can’t be with them during labour. However, we have absolutely fantastic maternity care assistants who can be there with women to hold their hand and take on the role of birthing partner.”

“We’ve had feedback from mums who were initially worried about coming in because they were concerned they might contract Covid-19 at the hospital. However, they found that that everyone was so welcoming and caring that their minds were put at rest and they had a good experience.”

Esther’s message for expectant mums and dads who might be anxious right now is one of reassurance, “Don’t be worried. We are a really friendly team and we’ve also got great doctors and other staff.”

Although this year may be different, some of the wonderful aspects of being a midwife remain the same. Esther shared what the best part about being a midwife is for her: “I particularly love seeing a first time mum. When someone goes from a ‘single person’ to a mum it’s the best feeling to see that change.”

And, our Midwifery team have put together a video the mark the day, sharing what they love most about being a midwife.