International Day of the Midwife will take place on Sunday and we’re celebrating the contribution of all midwives at NHS Humber Health Partnership to health care.

Meet Hannah, Claire, Chinagorom and Vicki as part of our ongoing series this weekend to showcase just some of the work our maternity teams at Hull University Teaching Hospitals and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole do.

HANNAH DOWNS, JUNIOR COMMUNITY MIDWIFERY SISTER

For Hannah Downs, the best part of her job is being surrounded by “Incredible, strong people”, both those using maternity services and those she works alongside every day.

Hannah knows midwifery is a challenging career and studying for a university degree can be hard to balance with busy family life but, for her, the secret is to having a strong support network.

“Make sure it is the right time for you,” Hannah says. “Midwifery is challenging and the university degree is hard to balance with family life, but the rewards of the job make it all worthwhile.”

Hannah started her training at 18 but put it on hold when she became pregnant with the first of her two sons, then picked up her training at the University of Hull once her boys were old enough. She qualified in 2020, with the last six months of her degree completed during the pandemic.

Hannah began her career as a Band 5 Rotational Midwife and then became a core community midwife before progressing into her current role as a Junior Community Midwifery Sister, a position she’s held for the past year. “I feel very privileged to be part of such a wonderful team of midwives and midwifery support workers,” she says.

Her working week is a mix of clinical and management days, from working in the community-based clinics and carrying out home visits to ensuring the community service runs smoothly.

Hannah will be working alongside the Community Midwifery team on International Day of the Midwife, encouraging her colleagues to take time out to celebrate the contribution they make to health care.

“The passion and dedication the Community Midwifery team provide is unwavering and you are all greatly appreciated,” she says.

ACTING MATRON CLAIRE BROTHWELL, SCUNTHORPE GENERAL HOSPITAL

Acting Matron Claire Brothwell has been part of the NHS for almost 30 years, working as a nurse in Leicester before undertaking a degree in midwifery at the University of Hull.

She’s held a range of nursing and midwifery roles over the years and uses her wealth of experience to lead her team, ensuring they can develop skills to deliver the highest possible standards of care.

“Providing safe care and a good experience is my ultimate motivation and driver in my work,” says Claire, who works in Maternity Services at Scunthorpe General Hospital.

As part of her day job and newly appointed to her role as Acting Matron, Claire attends daily safety briefing and ensures continuous improvement in patient care, putting the experience of patients at the heart of everything she does.

She is determined to be visible to all members of her team in clinical areas, stepping into a clinical role whenever and wherever required to maintain patient safety.

“I work with my management team and clinical teams, communicating with them and supporting clinically as required to maintain patient safety,” she says.

She enjoys all aspects of maternity care and will be making sure her team in Maternity Services celebrate International Day of the Midwife.

“Being a midwife has enabled me to care for families and be part of their pregnancy journey,” Claire says. “I remain passionate about being a midwife and feel privileged to be in the profession.”

CHINAGOROM CYRINA ACHIKEH, MIDWIFE IN MATERNITY SERVICES

Hull Midwife Chinagorom Cyrina Achikeh wanted a job where no two days were the same – and she got that in her role at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital.

Trained as a Midwife in Nigeria, Chinagorom moved to the UK to work at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust in Reading before heading north to Hull.

Now working as a Midwife in Maternity Services on the ground floor of the hospital, it’s Chinagorom’s role to support parents-to-be coming to the Antenatal Clinic, the Assessment Day Unit and to use our Pregnancy Triage System, often with concerns and worries about their unborn babies.

“Seeing families through the journey of pregnancy to delivery and being able to provide the care needed to make the journey as smooth as possible is the best part of my job,” Chinagorom says.

“Seeing people leave the hospital with smiles on their faces and knowing that I contributed to taking away the worries they came into the hospital with is a great feeling.”

Her day starts around 8am and she encounters many different pregnancy-related conditions before her day draws to a close anywhere between 5pm and 10pm, depending on where she’s working or the cases she’s involved in.

“I wanted a profession where no two days are the same, and I can put my sixth sense to use with compassion and care,” she says.

Her advice to others wishing to pursue a career in midwifery is: “Come on board – it is worth the effort.”

Her plans for International Day of the Midwife on May 5? “I’ll be joining the 1.9M midwives all over the world to celebrate our bravery and compassion in making the birthing journey a wonderful experience for families.”

SENIOR STAFF MIDWIFE VICKI MORGAN

Senior Staff Midwife Vicki Morgan originally qualified as a nurse at the University of Manchester in 2013. However, after having her own twin daughters, Vicki wanted to be a midwife and qualified with a degree in Midwifery at the University of Hull in 2016.

Based at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, Vicki is prepared for any and every eventuality.

“There’s no such thing as a typical day in midwifery,” she says. “Literally anything can happen.”

She finds joy in seeing new families begin or expand and relishes the time she spends with the families who come into hospital. And she never forgets the families who undergo bereavement, helping them through the most traumatic time in their lives.

She’ll be celebrating International Day of the Midwife socialising with friends and had these gems of advice for anyone considering a career in midwifery.

“Be prepared for hard work and you’ll need to show dedication to the role every day but the reward is you’ll get a career that you love, that makes a difference to so many people.”