May 5, 2021Today we celebrate the responsibility, dedication, and unwavering compassion of midwives across the world. International Day of the Midwife (IDM) is a time to celebrate the work the midwives, and our colleagues do for mothers, families and communities.
Nicole Carlon, Director of Operations, Women’s and Children’s said IDM is an opportunity to highlight the importance of midwives in the care of women and their families during their childbearing years.
“This year’s theme is ‘Follow the Data: Invest in Midwives’ and it highlights the evidence that continuity of care with a known midwife provides the best outcomes. I think that celebrating days like today allows us to take that step back, look at what we do every day, and remember that we can and are making a difference,” she said.
For Nicole, being part of a woman’s birth is incredible and she feels it is so much more than the birthing process- it is about creating a mother, creating a family and building a community.
“Pregnancy, birthing and postnatal journey is such an incredibly important time in a woman’s life. When a woman feels listened to, empowered and supported at this time in her life, it can give her an amazing start to motherhood and to the rest of her life, even when things don’t necessarily go to plan. How could I not want to be a part of that?” she added.
“The most rewarding thing about being a midwife is that feeling of amazement at the human body, the overwhelming emotion surrounding birth and that time with a mother and her newborn…. it never gets old,” she said.
The other thing that Nicole enjoys is to make a real difference to someone. “Just a few weeks ago I had a woman tell me how amazing she felt after she was fully involved in the shared decision making that occurred around her birth options and how great it felt to feel listened to and cared about. She felt that her birth experience was empowering and joyous. I will come back every day for that”.
Debra Bourne, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer added that it is important to celebrate this day so that we can remember the care midwifes provide across the spectrum of pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, in labour, post-natal and further.
“Midwifes are vital to improve the health and wellbeing not only for women in Australia, but internationally as well and they are the key to improving health outcomes for all women,” she said.
Northern Health is celebrating the International Day of the Midwife (IDM) and the International Nurses Day next week with numerous events across our four campuses. Keep an eye on the Intranet and our social media for more photos.
