Midwives at MWL have spoken about the pride they have in their roles as they prepare to celebrate International Day of the Midwife.
Staff across the Trust took part in events today to mark the day of celebration on May 5th which highlights the enormous contribution midwives make to providing the best possible care to babies and families across the world.
The day also highlighted the amazing work of some of our midwives, including Emma Lang, who works at Ormskirk Hospital.
Emma decided to become a midwife after the heartbreaking loss of her son Leo to a rare genetic condition when he was just five days old. It was a tragic event that inspired her to want to support and care for parents experiencing similar trauma.
After eight years of hard work, that involved studying for GCSEs and going to university, Emma qualified to be a midwife at the age of 44 and is now fully enjoying her role.
Emma said: “I’ve always loved the idea of becoming a midwife, and after losing my little boy I decided to go for it. I had a lot to offer, I wanted to help people and I knew this was the role for me.
“I absolutely love what I do, and it was the perfect role for me. It is hard but is so rewarding and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.’’
The Trust also asked staff to nominate their colleagues for a special Midwife Hero Award, which went to Megan Rumsby, based at Ormskirk Hospital.
Megan was nominated for being a vital part of the ‘Rainbow Team’ supporting women and their families who have sadly lost their unborn baby.
She was also praised for setting up the ‘Forever Footprints’ Football Club for all dads, grandads and uncles to come together and support each other whilst playing football.
Congratulations also went to Jackie Burke, based at Whiston Hospital, who won the Maternity Support Worker Hero Award after being nominated for always going the extra mile for the families she cares for.
A number of highly commended awards also went to Sara Bailey, Alesha Maguire, Kelly McMahon and Sinead Faragher.
Interim Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Governance at the Trust, Lynne Barnes, said: “International Day of the Midwife is an opportunity to pause for a moment and really reflect on what all our wonderful midwives bring to their roles every single day with their expertise and dedication.
“I am really proud of everything our midwives do to ensure everyone receives the best care, advice and guidance in our hospitals and our across our community.’’
If you are interested in a career as a midwife there is lots of information available here.
In the North West, midwifery courses are offered at the University of Manchester, the University of Salford, the University of Bolton, the University of Central Lancashire, the University of Cumbria, Edge Hill University, Liverpool John Moore’s University and the University of Chester.
