Southern DHB Celebrating International Day of the Midwife

1 May 2014

Southern DHB Celebrating International Day of the Midwife

Monday (5 May) is International Day of the Midwife, a time to recognise and celebrate the profession of midwifery and the indispensable and critical role midwives play at every point of maternity care. The theme of this year’s Midwives Day is “The world needs midwives now more than ever.”

Southern DHB is congratulating its midwives for their important contribution to the health and well-being of mothers and babies in the District.

Midwives work in a variety of settings across the District in the community including home birth and small primary birthing units for women with normal pregnancy and birth, through to secondary and tertiary hospital birth units and maternity wards for women with complex medical and pregnancy issues.

Brendan Quill from Queenstown whose partner Katrina Priest gave birth at Southland Hospital to their daughter Sylvia this week praised the team at Southland Hospital. “This is our first baby and I cannot thank the midwives enough. The care they provide is out of this world and something that Southland Hospital should be really proud of,” he said.

Core Midwife, Amy Darragh based at Southland Hospital said that being a midwife was such a special and rewarding job especially being part of, and seeing people becoming parents and was looking forward to celebrating the fantastic work midwives do on Monday.

Each year approximately 1800 babies are born in Dunedin Hospital and approximately 1200 are born each year in Southland Hospital, with a further 500 born at home or in primary maternity units. Every single birth has a midwife involved in caring for the mother and her baby.

“We’re really proud of the work of our midwives and their commitment to the health of women and their babies in this community, and the International Day of the Midwife is a great way to acknowledge the fantastic work that our midwives do,” commented Southern DHB Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Leanne Samuel.

Celebrations are taking place across the District with a message tree, an afternoon tea and a presentation of a TENS machine and book by the New Zealand College of Midwives at Dunedin Hospital. At Southland Hospital the team is celebrating with theNew Zealand College of midwives taking part in a bush walk to see trees which were planted a few years ago, a morning tea for the midwives on the ward, and lunch with the College of Midwives. In Queenstown the Lakes Hospital midwives are holding a celebration lunch.

ENDS

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