SARAH Bagshaw has birthed more than 400 babies, albeit none of them her own. The dedicated midwife has spent close to ten years in the delivery room, sharing in the magical moment when a mother gives birth to her newborn and life is created. Sarah reflected on the rewards and high-pressure of midwifery ahead of International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses Day.
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The Moree-local began with a surprise admittance that a career in midwifery was never her original intention.
“It was always a dream of mine to become a flying nurse and that’s what I was working towards,” she said. “But then I worked three years at Charleville Hospital in Queensland, where they only deliver around 50 babies a year. That glimpse into midwifery made me realise that I no longer wanted to be a flying nurse.”
Six and a half years on from that experience and Sarah is involved in all aspects of midwifery including parenting classes, prenatal care and birthing. She currently works as the acting midwifery manager at Moree Hospital, which is funnily enough her place of birth.
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“This isn’t a rare case. In fact, one of the midwives in our team also birthed a midwife who is now working here, and she trained her as well!”
Sarah’s close connection to the town happens to play to her advantage, she said.
“A lot of patients feel more comfortable when they hear that the person who is going to help them through the labour is someone who knows the town and its people.”
And with only a team of around 10 midwives and more than 190 births at the local hospital every year, having a local helping hand goes a long way to create a comfortable atmosphere in a busy environment.
“Patients who give birth in bigger hospitals, say Newcastle, are sent back to Moree so they can be closer to their families. So the midwives are also looking after them,” Sarah said.
But the 15-hour shifts, 24/7 on-call availability and frequent wake-ups in the middle of the night to deliver a baby are all worth the reward for Sarah.
“It’s the beauty of living and working in a small town. I get to look after local mums and their babies, and sometimes I have looked after mums through several of their births. There’s continuity for both the midwife and the mother and that really helps establish a strong relationship throughout the birthing experience.”
It’s an experience that Sarah has even shared with her friends.
“There is an amazing feeling that comes with what you’re doing for a friend, but then there’s the pressure of what if something goes wrong.”
And it’s the cases that didn’t go to plan that stay with Sarah.
“We always say the birth can be the best and worst day of a woman’s life. A piece of my heart goes with the baby when something goes wrong. You don’t forget their names.”
Sarah openly admitted it could be difficult to process the experience.
“It can be difficult at times with confidentiality, because I’m unable to tell my family exactly what is wrong. But I’m fortunate because my parents will recognise a certain look in my eyes, and they’ll know.”
She also credited NSW Health for setting up a helpful support network.
“Midwives are always understanding. There are plenty of debriefings and support material if Ineed.”
It’s the rewards and support-network that seem to have kept Sarah in midwifery. Even her recent trip to Central Africa and a two month stint aboard the world’s largest civilian hospital ship wasn’t enough to keep her away from Moree.
“When I returned from Africa, I realised how much I missed the experiences that come with being a midwife. Following the families, being a part of their experiences and even following up with them after the babies have arrived. I can’t see myself doing anything else. You never know what will happen,” she said.
Having birthed so many babies, it raises the question if Sarah has thought about having children of her own. To that, she has one thing to say.
“I’m happy to wait for the right time.”
International Day of the Midwife will take place this Saturday while International Nurses Day is scheduled for May 12. Hunter New England Health Local Health District are giving a “shout-out” to its midwives in celebration.
As part of the campaign, they are profiling key initiatives that midwives have enhanced, or of the midwives themselves.
“Sometimes it’s important to say a simple thank you, and that’s exactly what we’re doing to help celebrate International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses Day,” a spokesperson of Hunter New England Health said.
Across the Hunter New England Health Local Health District, there are more than 7,800 nurses and in excess of 600 midwives. Almost 1000 HNE Health nurses are male, but only four men work as midwives across the health district. Over 50% of the 17,000 HNE workforce are nurses and midwives.
“At the end of each work day, sometimes only they know the difference they’ve made to a patient. Sometimes it’s life-saving and often it’s incredibly stressful. More often that not, it includes an unsung dose of human care on top of medical care,” a spokesperson of Hunter New England Health said.
The theme for this year’s International Midwives Day is “Midwives leading the way with quality care”.
On average, there are 10,000 babies born each year across the HNE Health district, approximately 27 babies each day.
International Nurses Day lands on Florence Nightingale’s birthday, the founder of modern nursing.
Community members and patients are invited to share their sotries and compliments via the HNE Health Facbeook page.
