5th May – International Day Of The Midwife: Our Maternity System And Midwives Lead The World

The College of Midwives is joining the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and midwives around the world, to celebrate International Day of the Midwife (IDM).

It’s 100 years since the ICM was established, and two New Zealanders are key in the management of the organisation - ICM Chief Executive is *Dr. Sally Pairman and Chief Midwifery Advisor is **Ann Yates; both are former Presidents of the NZ College of Midwives.

College Chief Executive, Alison Eddy, says the New Zealand maternity system and our midwives are highly regarded around the world hence their prominence in key organisations like the ICM.

“One of the things we really want to do as a part of this year’s celebrations is recognise the work of midwives in times of crisis,” she says. “For example, as the world deals with Covid 19 and the terrible war in Ukraine, around 1.7 million midwives around the world continue to walk alongside pregnant women, be there for the labour and for the post-natal care,” she says.

Ms Eddy says International Day of the Midwife is a good opportunity to let people know about the high regard in which our midwifery-led maternity system is held around the world and that we have two very experienced and knowledgeable New Zealanders in very senior roles at the ICM.

“Just like midwives, who get on and do their work no matter what, these two facts are not well known; one might even say like the work of midwives, they are invisible. Realising how the rest of the world sees us while reminding Kiwi’s about our outstanding ‘continuity of care’ model in Aotearoa, we hope that our model of care will be better supported and resourced,” she says.

Former College of Midwives Chief Executive, Karen Guilliland said last year in a short film that went viral, “I'm always surprised at how famous New Zealand midwifery is everywhere else, except in New Zealand.”

Alison Eddy agrees and says this year on the International Day of the Midwife, it’s important to reiterate that one of the reasons why our midwifery-led maternity system stands up so well in times of crisis, such as the Canterbury earthquakes and the Covid-19 pandemic, is the community connections and collegiality between members of the maternity team.

“We see the community links communication between midwives and others in the maternity team as key to system’s resilience,” she says. “The community midwives working with hospital-based midwives – all of whom depend on one another. It’s a system that works incredibly well, when it is properly resourced and supported.”

Midwives from around Aotearoa will join with mums, babies and colleagues to acknowledge International Day of the Midwife tomorrow, very likely including cake and laughter.

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