Reflections of a Midwife Part Eight

It’s 2009 and economically things are not good in Antigua, but I have seen my next “Dream Job” advertised at the Perinatal Institute back in the UK so I apply, take a gamble and book a flight for the interview.

The role was to work on the “Confidential Enquiries into Stillbirth “ in the West Midlands as a Project Midwife where cases are totally anonymised, prepared and examined to within an inch of their lives by a panel of twelve senior doctors / midwives / paediatricians / and so on so that care can be changed and improved. It is ran by Professor Jason Gardosi who is a brilliant man, totally committed to reducing stillbirths. This is where your “growth charts” come from ladies.

It was a fantastic opportunity but huge gamble as it would mean me leaving Antigua for the year and travelling back every eight weeks  but as a family we needed to do this and so I took the job.I’m not going to lie …. This was an extremely tough thing to do and although it sounded good “on paper” it was the worst year of my life emotionally

Tom was back in the UK already at college following a professional football scholarship but Jack was still in Antigua with Tony finishing his last year at school. Enough said

I’m not going to lie ….. I struggled.  I struggled with being away from my family and struggled with being out of the loop with up to date policies and procedures in midwifery care as I had been out of the country for five years now.

I did my best and of course I learnt so much, but looking back I wish I had been in a better place to give more than I was able to.I did however get to travel to Holland with Jason to lecture at a PHD Ceremony and I also interviewed Community Midwives from 21 Trusts across the West Midlands on their changing roles …..which is 13 years ago now and they were already struggling.  

Six months in I needed an extra income and so this is when I set up  Yummy Yoga Mummies

I had taught Aquanatal Classes for 13 years before I left the UK which were great fun  but now I was a more mature midwife and really wanted to help women to prepare for birth mentally as well as physically  And so I did!