‘I feel very privileged to be part of a couple’s journey’
Claire Myers (31), from Kilkeel, has been a midwife for two years and works for the Southern Trust in Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry. Claire was a nurse for four years before training in midwifery. She is also a steward in the RCM southern branch. She recently gave birth to her second child Finn, who is seven weeks old, and also has a young son Jack (4). She is married to Richard (32), an operations director. She says:
My mum was a midwife so it is a job that runs in the family. I trained as a nurse and when I did my midwifery placement as part of my nursing course, I knew that is where I wanted to be. Just watching the midwives and seeing the knowledge they had and how magical an experience it is for the mums and the midwives made me want to do it.
Sometimes in our job less is more and we are very much led by the patient. The body is designed to have a baby and we try to just let the woman do her thing and listen to her body.
We educate them on the choices that are available to them and help them to make an informed decision about how they want the birth.
You build a rapport very quickly with the patients as
you are with them through the whole of their labour. They have to trust you and we do what we can to put them at their ease.
Of course, there are women who have tokophobia which is a complete fear of childbirth. Not many people are really excited about the prospect of being in labour and for most people it is a fear of the unknown. We would talk to them and again try to educate them about what lies ahead, giving them their choices and doing what we can to alleviate their anxieties. Midwifery is changing all the time; there is new research everyday and women have an increasing number of choices.
It is very special seeing a family being born in front of you. You are only a visitor to that event and I always feel very lucky, very privileged to be part of that couple’s journey. Of course, the tables were turned for me recently when I was giving birth to Finn. I was looked after by my colleagues and it was my turn to be in the magical moment.
I trusted my colleagues to care for me. When I had Jack I was a nurse and I didn’t really know what I knew when I was giving birth to Finn — on that occasion I felt nothing but excitement and love. I laboured in water although I didn’t give birth in water. I had the birth I wanted.
There is sadness in our job, too, and we also have to be there for the parents who have to deal with the loss of a baby. They need a great deal of support even though they might not have their baby in their arms.
As a junior midwife I get so much help and guidance from my senior colleagues and we all learn from them. The support they give us is invaluable.”