[𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟓] 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝗪𝐚𝐫

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝟸𝟷-𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 '𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨', 𝘪.𝘦. 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦

Yesterday, I made a video about working on Delivery Unit and how to do that as a sensitive person. Did you know that the SBAR tool (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation), which we use all the time to communicate in fast-paced intrapartum situations, was invented by the US navy? In the video, I made the point that we are trying to give birth in a place inspired by war. War doesn’t exist in nature. The cycle of life, including death, does. Predators and prey do. But war is this thing we made up.

Birth, on the other hand, exists as a fundamental part of nature. It has consistencies. The path of one human moving from inside to outside another requires a familiar set of hormones in unfamiliar quantities and fascinating biomechanics. It also requires emotional safety, or you can expect brutal physical or mental consequences.

Midwives want to offer safety, choice and calm, as that’s how we know birth works. But we do this while working in a war paradigm*. How we do this is beyond me some days. But that’s where the work is, especially when we are sensitive. My book dedication says ‘to all the students and midwives who keep turning up and making a difference’. Our ability to hold one idea and work towards another is remarkable. I don’t think there are clear answers around why some of us are more sensitive than others, though we know trauma in our past can prompt this. Check out Dr Katherine Gutteridge for an example of someone who has done immense work with a trauma background. In her book ‘Understanding Anxiety, Worry and Fear in Childbearing’ Dr Gutteridge suggests we should take ‘universal precautions’ around trauma, just like we do with infection control. We should assume every client's background puts them at risk of re-traumatisation. I think we should do this with staff too.

The NHS is under so much pressure. But what would happen if we communicated using tools created for birth at least some of the time? So in a quiet, dark room, with respect for our basic physical needs like warmth, hydration, and time to think and respond? What would happen if we assumed all staff needed time with a trusted midwife/safe person to address their trauma? What would happen if we assumed our students have wounds from growing up in an industrialised education process, and so teaching them is as much about skills around self-respect as it is about information?

A lot of what I’m trying to do is bring the hidden out into the open. This series, on ‘grandwifing’ so ‘midwifing the midwife’, is trying to harness peaceful, older energy. Remember that the humans who live the longest tend to be there to provide assistance for families and look after the young, which requires immense sensitivity. Remember that birth is a lot older than war.

To your needs,

Ellie.

⁣⁣⁣p.s.⁣⁣⁣

⁣⁣⁣In part I'm writing this series to help launch my new book, ‘Becoming a Midwife: A Student’s Guide’. It's out 23/2/23. ⁣⁣

⁣*I am very much referencing Megan Macedo here

⁣