UHDB celebrates International Day of the Midwife
Sunday 5 May marks International Day of the Midwife, recognising the valuable role of midwives in healthcare. Midwives play an essential role in improving the health of women, birthing people, and their babies, and we want to use this opportunity to thank each and everyone one of our midwives for their hard work.
We want to thank all of our midwives at UHDB and beyond for their hard work and recognise they are an essential part in helping women and parents throughout their whole birthing journey.
This year, the global theme of International Day of the Midwife (IDM) is climate action. At UHDB, we have also heavily invested in our technologies and systems to improve our service, including a new digital patient record system, moving us away from paper records. One of the benefits of this system is it reduces the need for paper records, with community midwife teams able to access, edit and view records on portable devices, such as iPads.
Our maternity infant feeding team are accredited by the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiation programme (BFI), in which we have committed to action BFI best practice across our services. This includes encouraging breastfeeding as the healthiest, and most sustainable infant feeding practice. Breastmilk requires no packaging, shipping or disposal and has a negligible water footprint. It does not create pollution, nor waste scarce resources. It is a free and safe resource uniquely suitable for human babies which helps to minimise environmental impact and breastfeeding populations are also more resilient in emergencies.
Since August 2023, we have welcomed 46 new midwives to strengthen our maternity service and deliver the care families need and deserve. Our newly appointed midwives have joined us from all walks of life, and we have captured some of their stories for International Day of the Midwife, to hear about why they chose midwifery at UHDB.
Krizalyn's story
My name is Krizalyn Briones, I am currently a rotational midwife and work mainly in labour ward and ward 314 at Royal Derby Hospital. I have been working here at the Trust now for over a year and joined UHDB as an internationally recruited midwife. Becoming a midwife was not really my dream to be start with and I first tried to complete another course but for some reason being a midwife kept on choosing me. One thing I love about my job is seeing how mother and baby connect from the whole journey of pregnancy, and how a mother could endure from antenatal to postnatal just for her baby. I joined UHDB because of the feedback I got from fellow midwives who were recruited from the Philippines, and they mentioned how welcoming and supportive the Maternity staff was. I worked in the largest government owned maternity hospital in my country for 12 years where I did my initial training, with a vast number of deliveries taking place every day. I came to the country pregnant with my second baby and so I have also experienced being a patient. It was a memorable year for me as I received my pin to practice in the UK some time before I had my baby. I am looking forward to broadening my knowledge and skills in midwifery practice to be more efficient in work that we do.
Mildred's story
My name is Mildred Osei-Bemah, a midwife based at Royal Derby Hospital, currently working in Labour Ward. I've been with the Trust for 11 months now and joined the Trust via international recruitment. I remember being interested in midwifery from a really young age. I thought it was all about cuddling babies and singing lullabies not knowing what the role entails. One thing I love about my job is being able to share what I've learnt with families, empowering women about being amazing, having the passion for pregnancy and birth and supporting those on that journey.
I chose UHDB because the trust is committed to promoting an inclusive environment where employees, patients and visitors experience equality of opportunity by means of appreciating the value of diversity. A space where everybody is welcome irrespective of your background, gender, race, religion. My journey to UHDB was a roller coaster of emotions, not knowing what to expect, the fear of the unknown, moving to a foreign land from a different background, different culture, weather, different healthcare practices, among others. It was difficult to adapt in the beginning but with the massive support from our managers and staff, I feel more confident in myself and I'm proud of who I am now.
Midwifery is the best job in the world, challenging but rewarding but I still see myself continuing in this role and also looking at further development to develop my skills.
Rizaline's story
I'm Rizaline Espeno, a midwife at Royal Derby Hospital, working in labour ward and ward 314. I was hired under Internationally Educated Midwives (IEM) pathway and joined UHDB, in February of last year (2023).
Midwifery was not my first choice when I was studying, however, at that time Midwifery was the only course I could take that suits my availability wherein I could juggle family and studies. I can be a mum during the day and a student at night. But I do believe God led me to this profession and I have no single regrets choosing this profession. For me, being a midwife is a very noble and fulfilling job, and to be able to care for a woman during pregnancy, labour, and birth is such an amazing experience, and knowing that somehow, you have been part of that journey is really satisfying. It is incredibly rewarding to see the strength, courage, and joy of women as they bring new life into the world and having that privilege to witness the miracle of life at first hand, is one thing I love the most about my job.
I was impressed by UHDB‘s diverse community and its focus on continuous improvement and patient-centered care. Additionally, the opportunity to work alongside skilled and passionate colleagues in a supportive and collaborative environment was a major factor in joining UHDB.
My journey of becoming a UK registered midwife was not an easy road, as I reflect on my journey of adjustment, I am overwhelmed with gratitude to the Trust and colleagues who greeted me with open arms and genuine hospitality from the moment I stepped through the doors of my new workplace. Their friendly smiles, words of encouragement, and willingness to lend a helping hand made me feel valued and accepted.
I look forward to the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of woman and families I cared for. To promote positive birth experiences and optimal outcomes for mothers and babies, to embrace diversity and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, and to continue my professional development as I embark upon my new career here in the UK.