I have just returned from professional visits to Bulgaria, India and Brazil, all countries that have lost much of their midwifery profession and are working hard to reinstate autonomous midwifery. Through this lens, I was truly thankful to celebrate the centenary of the Midwives (Scotland) Act 1915 on two occasions, with the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) at St Giles' Cathedral and the Edinburgh City Chambers and with the Scottish Government.
At the Mansfield Traquair celebration in December, the Chief Midwifery Advisor for the Scottish Government, Ann Holmes, gave an introduction in which she described the importance of the Midwives (Scotland) Act as a foundation to modern midwifery and the developments taking place. I was delighted to be asked to respond to Ann, because my life in midwifery started in Scotland and it is a country I still love. The following is a summary of what I said.
Midwives are there at the start of life and, particularly when part of an effective maternity service, not only save lives and support health and wellbeing, but add to the quality of the start of life for the baby, and the life of the newly formed family.
Midwives are crucial to the aspirations of the Scottish Government (2013) to
‘make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up in by improving outcomes and reducing inequalities for all babies, children, mothers, fathers and families across Scotland to ensure that all children have the best start in life and are ready to succeed.’
Over many years, in many parts of the world, I have seen first-hand the potential we have to set the baby and family on the best start in life.
I started life as a midwife 51 years ago at the Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion in Edinburgh. It really was a different world back then. We spent the first 6 months in the hospital, doing our best to learn about and give good care—but we often did harm unknowingly. We routinely separated mothers from their babies, and thought little about privacy. The words ‘woman-centred care’ would have been meaningless.
Then, during my second part, I stayed in the midwives' house in Colinton Mains, Edinburgh. The house is still there.
There were two sister midwives and two pupil midwives. One night everyone was out at births—or deliveries, as they were called in those days—when a phone in the hall rang. It was the husband of a woman in labour, calling from the phone box down the road. There was no way for me to contact the midwives, so I called a taxi, put on my uniform—complete with hat—gathered the bedpan and delivery kit, and set off for the house.
When I arrived, it was one of those houses with steep stairs to the door. I stepped out of the car, gathering all my equipment, started to climb the steps, looked up and saw a pair of carpet slippers and heard a tremulous male voice: ‘Nurse, I am so glad you are here.’ With that, I lost every semblance of confidence and fell up the stairs, scattering all my equipment and knocking the bedpan down the stairs!
‘I got to know the family… I was, for a little while, a part of their lives. What a privilege’
However, we got set up for the birth, and the sister arrived, having read the note I had left. That birth set a scene in my mind and my heart that is the basis of my vision for midwifery even now: the beauty of the birth, the calm room, the woman in her own bed, the light of a lamp and the children spilling onto the bed afterwards to meet the new baby—and strong tea all round.
I got to know the family as individuals. I was, for a little while, a part of their lives. What a privilege.
Travelling around the UK, I meet so many midwives doing their day-to-day work but also learning, innovating, developing new approaches and services, and showing passion for their work. I want to thank those who, so many years ago, established the Midwives (Scotland) Act. Thank you, too, to all those who continue to support midwifery and the services we work in.
My final words are for every midwife and student midwife. In your busy lives, you will often forget the difference you make. I know that you face challenges, but there are huge opportunities to build our profession and our knowledge. So while looking back, let's also look forward to building a future together, for our profession and for the women and families we serve.