A day for caring souls

TWO Ipswich midwives will be celebrating International Day of the Midwife in style today.

My Midwives Ipswich midwife Teresa Walsh checks over Anna Colquhoun’s three-week-old baby Leo (front) with midwife Hazel Mastin catching up with Emma Robinson and her four-month-old Henry Teakle (back). . Picture: Sarah Harvey

TWO Ipswich midwives will be celebrating International Day of the Midwife in style today.

Hazel Mastin and Teresa Walsh, of My Midwives Ipswich, are throwing open the doors to their new Grey St practice in celebration of the day.

The day celebrates the important and unique role midwives play in caring for women and families when a new baby arrives, Ms Mastin said.

"This is a growing community where we both live and work," she said.

"We offer the choice of personalised care for pregnancy, birth and early weeks with a new baby. Research shows that one-to-one care can make all the difference."

New mother Anna Colquhon dealt with Ms Walsh in the lead-up to her pregnancy.

Mrs Colquhon saw Ms Walsh throughout her pregnancy and is still coming in for check-ups with her now three-week-old son, Leo.

"Having Teresa with me at the birth was great," she said.

"Instead of having a hospital midwife who didn't know me she knew me and we'd discussed the birth and she knew what I wanted."

Ms Walsh said the midwives played a vital role in caring for mothers and preparing them for birth.

"It's such a privilege for any midwife to be 'with woman' during this very personal time" she said.

"And, to be honest it is just fantastic to work this way - getting to know women and their families really well, and being with them all the way through."

International Day of the Midwife is celebrated across the world to bring notice to the work done by midwives in preparing and assisting mothers for birth.

My Midwives Ipswich will host a morning tea this morning in celebration of International Day of the Midwife from 10am to midday at their new premise at 6 Grey St, Ipswich.

Long history

The word midwife means 'with woman' in Middle English.

The midwife profession has a long history, even being mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible and ancient Egyptian writings.

Originally published as A day for caring souls