A Call For The Midwives

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Terry McMahon writes:

That’s my daughter’s hand around my finger. Her mother is a midwife. Another midwife helped the birth. Their dedication is astonishing but now midwives have had to vote to strike. And it’s beautiful to see so many powerful people support these women who have chosen to make a life out of helping other women give birth.

Okay, it hasn’t happened yet, but it will.

Social media is awash with campaigns for these astonishing midwives who guide women through the miraculous process of birth and thereafter. Support is everywhere. And the t-shirts and the hoodies and the pop-up shops are amazing.

Okay, it hasn’t happened yet, but it will.

Anyone who questioned any recent campaigns has been proven wrong. Equality is here. Rights are real. Support is everywhere. Particularly for the midwives who do thirteen-hour shifts, without a break, to facilitate the miracle of birth for women who are at their most profoundly vulnerable, as they bring new life into our world.

Okay, it hasn’t happened yet.

But it will…won’t it?

Terry McMahon is a filmmaker and can be found on Twitter @terrymcmahon69

Previously: Terry McMahon on Broadsheet

Update:

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22 thoughts on “A Call For The Midwives

  1. Daisy Chainsaw

    This bandwagon had no support whatsoever until Terry brought it to the public’s attention?

    Social media is awash with support and has been for ages now. Maybe Tezza needs to stop reading rámeis about pain medication for foetuses by religious zealots and start reading tweets from actual nurses. https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeWillProvide

  2. Fact Checker

    I sometimes work long hours and I modestly think my dedication is astonishing too.

    Can I have a pay rise please?

  3. Brother Barnabas

    midwives are extraordinary, in fairness

    midwife at birth of my first child was something else. and by the time it was all done, I had completely fallen for her. it was very obvious, too, which made things a little awkward. worked out well, though.

    1. Cian

      I’ve been told[1] that a lot of men hit on their partner’s midwife just after the birth.

      The whole “becoming a daddy” is fierce powerful for the auld libido.

      [1] Anecdote alert. I have no verifiable evidence for this.

    2. belgravy

      ditto! ” so where do you Hang out when your not delivering children” i think she was used to it lol

    1. Fact Checker

      My personal experience (of a tiny sample of ) Irish midwives is not great.

      This is no way to base public policy decisions on though!

  4. Joe Small

    Nurses and midwives do amazing work and are underpaid. If there was a way of giving them a pay increase without having to give knock-on pay increases to every other public servant I’d be all for it. Unfortunately, that just doesn’t seem possible. Its a political reality.

  5. Frank Lee O’Bese

    Go Filipino nurses. Saviors.

    I see Terry mentions midwives as “women”. Aren’t there male midwives? (Asking for a confused friend in Coppers).

      1. Brother Barnabas

        will take the liberty to be a small bit pedantic, lilly

        it would still be ‘midwife’

        the word comes from old english when “mid” meant “with” and “wif” meant “woman” (so nothing at all to do with wife/husband). the literal meaning was “with woman” and just meant a person who assisted or was with the about-to-be mother

        a man or a woman can be a midwife

        1. Cian

          Are you assuming that all pregnant people are women?

          Shame!

          Persons with XX chromosomes can identify as men if the choose!

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