What do you think midwives do?

[pinkneed]

Follow on from a thread earlier about nurses.

I feel like it's such a misunderstood profession. All the time people are shocked when I tell them what my days consist of.

I often get called a nurse too, by patients, staff in other departments and the public.

Cuddle babies - all day long!
I'm joking I work in maternity care so well aware of what the job is and its certainly not that! The number of people who want to be midwives but have no idea what they actually do always shocks me!

I can't imagine all the things you have to do but I expect it's far far more than any of us realise or appreciate.

I've had two babies and one miscarriage. At every point of those pregnancies and through the midwife led elements of my experiences, the midwives have been exceptional. IMO it's not an exaggeration to say you are angels.

The most scared and vulnerable I've ever felt and it was midwives who took care of me, who bought my daughters safely into the world, who comforted me through loss, who listened to me when I said my mum radar was telling me something was wrong.

Thank you. Thank you so much - it sounds so shit for midwives right now but I can't tell you how much of a difference you have made to me when I needed it x

You look after the mum.. That is your main role. I did Access to Nursing with a lady who thought it was all about cuddling babies all day.. She did not get a single interview for uni.

I'd love it if you posted a list of what midwives do. I'm sure it'll be about five times as long as I think it will!

Take blood
Cannulate
Inject
Catheterise
Auscultate fetal heart
Abdominal palpation
Take observations
Administer medication
Blood gases
Clean and dress wounds
Episiotomies
Suture 1st&2nd degree tears and episiotomies
Diagnose tears
Insert and remove NG tubes
Membrane sweeps
Vaginal examinations and feeling landmarks of fetal skull
Artificial rupture of membranes
Attach FSE to unborn baby’s head
Uterine massage
CTG monitoring and interpretation
Deliver singletons
Deliver twins
Postnatal checks
Newborn checks
Breastfeeding support
Formula feeding support
Check pads (sometimes including sniffing them)
Measure blood loss
NIPE checks (heart, hips, lungs, eyes, testes)
Jaundice checks
Treat jaundice
Booking appointments
Run clinics
Home visits
Teach how to care for babies
Explain scan findings (some midwives do scans)
Make safeguarding reports
Attending safeguarding meetings
Support through pregnancy loss
Support through infant loss
Resuscitation of mums and babies
Manual removal of placenta
Manual examination of the uterus
Manage postpartum haemorrhage
Manage other emergencies e.g. shoulder dystocia
Post op care
Personal hygiene
Discharge talks (about 15-30 min spiel)
Contraceptive advice
Document document document
Some midwives do neonatal nursing

Then there’s also the non official things like taking babies for a couple of hours when mum has completely had enough.

I’ve washed a good few heads of hair belonging to knackered mum’s after birth.

I've probably missed a lot!!

Couldn’t even begin to develop a comprehensive list but I just want to say I have never had a bad experience with a midwife. I feel so lucky to have been cared for by the most compassionate and genuine women and all my maternity care has been absolutely first class. Thank you.

I remember vividly with my first child, having such wonderful midwives at the hospital. Such care, empathy and genuine love for their jobs.

Community midwives however, different story. In my first pregnancy and in my current pregnancy, never had a brilliant experience. I'm currently 37 weeks pregnant and have seen a different midwife for all of my routine appointments. My last appointment lasted all of about 6 minutes. In and out, quick blood pressure check, urine check, heartbeat check and done. Tick box exercise.
Or is that typical for community midwives?

You are a nurse aren't you - a specialist one?

Unfortunately it can be typical. We're usually given 20 minute appointment slots, but it's hard to actually find this time.

It's not unusual for midwives to have case loads of over 100 women.

It shouldn't be rushed, it's not supposed to be, but often it is and that's not right.

No, we aren't nurses.

The training is completely separate. Some nurses to post grad training.

*do postgrad training to become midwives

I find the connection with a midwife this incredible thing. You might be in for a few days and you form a little connection with the midwife on the ward. Then the shift changes and on to the next midwife, who has the ability to do the same thing. Incredibly skilled people.

This baby I was struck by the bed baths, the cannula removal, the one who hand expressed for me, the one who helped me to the toilet... Not to mention the ones who helped me get my babies into the world.
It looks like such an intense job.

You forgot surviving a 12 hour shift on luke warm tea, quality street & 1 wee.

And finally getting out of theatre to go for a break, sitting down to eat your sandwich & realising you have meconium all up your arm 😂

How could I forget?!😂

Sorry my experience of community midwives is poor. Different one each time. Gone are the days it seems of building up a rapport with your midwife.

I think they’ve phased out the conversion course haven’t they? Direct entry only now? They certainly have in our area.

I’m a community midwife and I’ve never had a caseload of less than 150. My last caseload was around 200 in a very deprived area (LOTS of safeguarding, FGM, translation required, DV etc.). The admin alone should have been a full day. Of course it was just 20 minutes here and there between clinics/visits/bookings etc.

It makes me genuinely furious that the managers were all prepping us for the CQC so we’d be well rated. It’s such bullshit. We are exhausted and flying by the seat of our pants. Staffing levels aren’t safe. Why pretend it’s all ok?

Sorry if I missed it in your list but I had ELCS due to extreme tokophobia with both my babies.

Every single midwife I saw- from my booking appointments, through to the midwives in hospitals were all bloody fantastic. So, so kind and compassionate. The two community midwives I had in particular were just amazing women. They made the appointments so much easier than me and made sure I was referred to empathetic consultants.

So id definitely add supporting c-section mums to the list too! Even if they didn't do the birth bit, they got me through everything else :)

Most midwives would LOVE to have a consistent caseload. It makes our jobs much easier. Sadly staffing makes it very difficult.

I left after 4 years, but I salute those of you that keep going. Midwifery will always have a little piece of my heart.

It wasn't a criticism per se as there are always extenuating circumstances. Sadly though a midwife appt held no excitement as you ended up repeating yourself and just felt a tick box exercise.

There's nothing in your list that surprises me.

My DS is a midwife but now does something else in health. He does enough shifts to keep his registration and also volunteers for a charity using his midwifery skills. He loved most of his mothers but struggled with the discrimination he suffered on a daily basis.

I'm 2.5 weeks post TFMR. I couldn't have got through it without all my amazing midwives. From the screening midwife who dealt with me before the day, to the midwives on the day, the community midwife who visits, and the bereavement midwife who calls me... thank you. you are all angels ❤️

Two of my closest friends are midwives. One is in her 40’s and excelling in her career. Bringing her hospital on leaps and bounds in midwifery led care.
The other is retired now and full of incredible stories of all of the babies she has delivered, the parents, the losses, the god complex consultants. I adore her, she is the type of woman who would have you feeling so completely safe and at ease in labour..

I was very lucky with incredible midwives during my pregnancies. I had one bad experience but knowing what I know now about the role I can’t even hold it against her anymore.

I don’t know how you do the job, I don’t know how you don’t collapse with exhaustion, I don’t know how you make each mum feel like there’s not another thing you need to be doing other than looking after her. I’m tearing up now. It’s not a job, it’s a vocation.

ill be honest though I fall into the trap of calling nurses /midwives the same thing. It’s not meant as a slight, I didn’t know the difference. I also called the consultant on rounds the Porter because my mind was addled and that’s what popped in there

Someone who is there to empower you in the most beautiful and life changing moment. A person who is a real life super hero. Someone who holds a special place in your heart.