11/10/2023
Midwifery is a noisy job..
Women scream, partners shout, machines bleep, feet run on the corridor, water splashes & paperwork rustles. The music of birth culminates in the sweetest sounds
But sometimes babies slip into this world silent and sleeping
Sometimes the room waits chilled. Words unspoken. Hearts barely beating as they wait for the inevitable silence.
Hoping against all hope that a beautiful cry will rend the still air.
Instead the silence is broken only by tears and mothers lament.
Ours is a vocal job. We offer encouragement. Cheer leaders, personal trainers, eternal optimists. We hold her hand, guide her way. To a joyful conclusion.
But sometimes mothers labour with broken dreams. Our love and care cannot heal their pain. Sometimes we carry the mother to the edge of the abyss, a place we cannot follow and soft words ring hollow.
Midwifery is a painful job. We quietly care. Careful not the intrude but anxious to do what we can. Aware that these precious moments are all they have. A few cuddles, photos & footprints. Robbed of a lifetime of memories crammed into what time they have.
We leave this place on the longest drive home. With shattered hearts and heavy shoulders. We would take their pain if we could. Sometimes no reason and explanation. Unexpected quiet.
We return the next day, weary & worn. Questioning ourselves and our skills. Then we wipe our eyes, replace our smiles and take a deep breath. Cheerfully we walk into another day. Another story ❤️
Words by Katherine Mabey