Thank you so much for choosing to donate to VSO and for following my volunteering adventure in rural Myanmar. The support you continue to provide to VSO allows midwives like me to share our skills in developing countries to improve standards of care, and allowing women the right to give birth in a safe and caring environment. Women and babies shouldn’t die needlessly, and you have given us the power to change that. Thank you so much.
I started my love for volunteering as a teenager, when I spent some time in southern India which was life-changing. I then decided to study to become a midwife, and I came to realise quite how lucky we are in the UK with our NHS. I had assumed all midwives across the world were given the same training as I had – but I quickly learnt otherwise in my modules in nursing around the world.
I always knew I wanted to take my midwifery skills and volunteer again. I have spent some time making sure I was confident in my skills to really help VSO. I’ve even trained to be a midwifery lecturer over the last year just to double check! I just can’t wait to get out to Myanmar and get started with this new chapter of my life.
A normal working day in the UK would either be a 12 hour or an overnight shift in a large maternity unit in the middle of Birmingham.
A typical day would include making rounds of the wards and ensuring our patients are progressing normally within their labour. One piece of equipment we really rely on is sonic aids, which are machines which allow us to measure vital signs such as blood pressure and heart rates. These can be crucial in understanding if there are any medical emergencies; other than that we do try and let the women’s natural ability to give birth kick in and not intervene in this special moment. I often have the huge honour of safely welcoming their baby into the world. Handing over the youngest person in the world to their new parents is a feeling that will never become dull.
Alongside helping women during their labour, I also assist after the birth. I support new mothers on breastfeeding and general guidance on caring for the baby, as well as making sure the woman is happily transitioning to being a mother.
I usually work alongside one other midwife, so communication is key to make sure we can give every mother and baby the care they need on a tight time schedule. We have a large diversity of patients coming into our wards, so sometimes we have to rely on an interpreter. I’m hoping my newfound skill in communicating through signs rather than just language will be a help to reassure mothers in Myanmar!
