Thursday 6 September 2012

midwives in the news

Are midwives any different than any other professional when it comes to the press?  Possibly not.  Or maybe we are.  Women, pregnancy, birth,  motherhood, fatherhood , babies ......a potential maelstrom.  And there is the midwife in the middle of it all. So I think that maybe we are a bit different in many respect because we are so involved; after all the meaning of the word midwife translates to being 'with woman'.

So the press love a story about us, good or bad.  But often the reporting in inaccurate, incomplete and sensational.   We all know that. I was recently reported as a 'midwife to the rescue' when my friend gave birth as planned at a local music festival.  No rescuing there in any sense of the word; it was all planned and everything went smoothly.

So as I read today's reporting in the national newspapers about a midwifery colleague, my heart is heavy for the family and the midwife involved. I will wait until all the inquest evidence is considered before coming to any conclusions myself.  And in the meantime be circumspect about what the press are saying.