Toowoomba midwives reveal their favourite baby memories

PRU Rattray has more memories from her more than 20 year-career as a midwife than she can count — and she’s loved every minute of it.

PRU Rattray has more memories from her 25-year career as a midwife than she can count - and she's loved every minute of it.

The nurse unit manager and her massive maternity department at St Vincent's Private Hospital marked International Day of the Midwife today with a reflection of what makes the profession so important to the lives of families.

A member of the last cohort of hospital-trained midwives at Toowoomba Hospital many years ago, Mrs Rattray said her favourite memories were not just how the mother reacted to the experience, but also the partner and siblings.

"I used to really like chatting to the couples during labour, and their innocence as first-time parents," she said.

"Now, because I am a mum of lots of children, I really love watching the little kids come in and seeing their siblings - that brings tears to my eyes much more now.

"It's always the classic moments of the brave dads, who say nothing's going to affect them, and then they're on the floor once the blood starts.

"We also allow the partners of the patient to sleep over, and the classic is when you go into the room, and the dad is asleep in the bed and the mum is plodding around looking after the baby.

"There are so happy and sad memories."

Mrs Rattray said women were now having children far older than when she first started in the profession.

"Women are still having babies the same, that hasn't changed at all," he said.

"Now, I suppose women are a little bit older and sometimes it can be more complex with age and few other things going on.

"They have different demands, they come in with a lot of knowledge and they've put a lot of thought into birthing plans.

"Everybody does their research more these days - with the opportunities of social media and technology, everyone is a little bit more informed, and everyone has their choices, and that's what we try to support."

New midwife Anita Nakata, who comes from Thursday Island in the Torres Strait, said she was inspired to become a midwife to help her community when she returned.

"My family and my community encouraged me and inspired me to do it," she said.

"They need better health care workers up there, just to get the indigenous people better support.

"There aren't many indigenous midwives up there.

"It's good to have somebody that knows the language and culture.

"I have a lot of people that come through and say it's good to have me there because they don't have to speak English, which isn't our first language."