5 May: International Day Of The Midwife

May 5th is International Day of the Midwife (IDM) and this year the College of Midwives is turning the spotlight on the thousands of New Zealand midwives who just get on and do their jobs in extreme situations.

This year’s IDM theme is Together Again: From Evidence to Reality which College of Midwives Chief Executive, Alison Eddy says could not be more appropriate considering how New Zealand midwives have so successfully pulled together in the times of crisis over recent years.

During the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquakes, the Christchurch terror attack, the pandemic and most recently the extreme weather events around Aotearoa, midwives continued to provide an acute 24/7 maternity service, often with limited resources.

College Chief Executive, Alison Eddy, says as outstanding health professionals, midwives pull together to do what is necessary, in any circumstance, to support women and their babies.

“Behind every midwife is a team of colleagues, a wealth of knowledge that can be drawn upon anytime and the effectiveness of that is particularly clear in time of crisis,” she says.

“As we saw over Auckland Anniversary weekend then followed by the wrath of Cyclone Gabrielle, which devastated the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti area, midwives have not missed a beat, being there for women and families,” she says. “This International Day of the Midwife, we want to highlight our heroines - our midwives - because they quietly get on with what is needed, and I don’t think many people actually understand what midwives do in incredibly challenging situations.”

Ms Eddy says that following a challenging event, feedback the College receives from midwives, other health professionals and women illustrates how midwives’ community connections and networks, as well as resourcefulness and professionalism, ensures that there continues to be a seamless and accessible service even in the most trying circumstances.

“We saw it in Canterbury after the quakes, again during the pandemic and most recently over the weather events. Midwives consistently do what they have to do and always put their women and communities first,” she says. “They are more than health professionals, they are true heroines.”

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