Today (Friday 5 May) is International Day of the Midwife and we’re celebrating all the hard work our midwives do every single day. We caught up with Mercedes Perez-Botella, Director of Midwifery in NHS Lothian, to find out more about her role and the difference midwives make to mums and families.
What made you want to get into midwifery?
I have always had a caring nature and from an early age I wanted to become a nurse. I was born and raised in Spain and midwifery is a subspecialty of nursing, so you have to complete nursing before applying for midwifery. It’s a complex process and I never considered it until I came to work as a nurse in the UK and saw an advert on a bus to recruit student midwives. I realised how accessible the profession was and this made me think what a brilliant opportunity to provide care for women going through what you could say is the most defining moment of their lives. Pregnant women tend to be healthy and pregnancy is a completely natural and normal process and that is a big departure from nursing sick patients. The idea of providing care for two individuals was also very attractive: double the impact!
Why do you think it’s important to recognise the work midwives do?
Midwives can greatly influence the lives of individuals and families.
We are highly trained individuals who work autonomously but also collaboratively with other midwives and members of the multidisciplinary team. Childbirth is a transformative experience both physically and emotionally and we are at the centre of it. We support families to have the best start, preparing them not only for the process of childbearing and birth but also to become the best possible parents and supporting them to develop environments where their babies can thrive into healthy adults. That is a pretty exciting prospect when you make your way to work!
What do you like most about your job?
As the Director of Midwifery, I am the professional lead for our midwives in NHS Lothian and this means I can help develop an infrastructure that supports their work. I lead individuals and teams and we work collaboratively to incorporate best evidence, government policy and reports, and women’s and families’ feedback into service design.
Supporting staff to flourish and achieve their potential is at the core of what I do. This will translate into positive experiences for them and importantly the families we serve. It all centres around our women and families, but ensures we care for our staff and provide the best conditions possible for them to work in. As a result, it has a big impact in achieving positive outcomes for those who use our services.
What would you say to people who are thinking about getting into this field of work?
Midwifery is a very challenging profession and not one that always fits the idyllic picture that is seen on some TV programmes. There are good and bad days, very happy and very sad moments too. However, it is a profession that offers enormous rewards, personally and professionally. Being a midwife is much more than a job: it’s something that lives within your heart and makes you feel proud of what you do.
It also feels very much like midwifery in Scotland is at the brink of very exciting and innovative changes, giving midwives the opportunities to provide care that really improves the holistic health of women and families. The development of specialist and leadership roles are just a couple of examples of the exciting changes that we are working on.
You can check out the NHS Lothian website for more information about our maternity services.
