INTERNATIONAL Midwives Day will be marked at Kendal's Westmorland General Hospital tomorrow.

This year's theme is 'Women and Newborns: The Heart of Midwifery' and the celebration will be centred on the Westmorland Bite restaurant.

It will feature cupcakes, giveaways and a good old-fashioned tombola as midwives and midwifery clinical support staff are celebrated.

Special ‘market stalls’ will also be set out in the restaurant between 12noon and 3pm with information about WGH’s midwifery service. Staff will also be on hand to answer any midwifery-related questions.

The catering team at WGH will be providing midwives and midwifery clinical support staff with free cupcakes and they will each receive ‘giveaways’ and also have a chance to win a prize on the tombola.

Midwives will also be taking part in a special one hour Twitter question and answer session tomorrow between 12noon and 1pm. Local women are invited to ask any general midwifery-related question. To ask a question, tweet it to the hashtag @UHMBT #DM2016

Emma Jackson, a midwife at Helme Chase, WGH, said: “I became a midwife because supporting women, and their families, to bring a baby into the world is the biggest privilege and best job I could wish for.

“Working at Helme Chase and in the local community, gives me the opportunity to develop relationships with women; which is very fulfilling. It is especially lovely if you get the opportunity to also look after women during labour. I love being part of a team that continually works towards putting women at the centre of their own care.”

Sarah Anderson, supervisor of Midwives at Helme Chase, said: “At school I worked as a volunteer at the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven, which led to me becoming an auxiliary nurse. I was encouraged to train as a nurse, which I did at Charing Cross in London. I enjoyed gynaecology and midwifery so much I decided to train as a midwife. Nearly 30 years later, I am still a midwife and I still love my job!”

Sascha Wells, Deputy Director and Head of Midwifery, UHMBT said: “Midwives play a crucial role in maternal and child health and the International Day of the Midwife is an important day to share the essential services midwives provide. We must ensure every woman and every newborn child has timely access to the best possible care before, during and after pregnancy and child birth.

“I would like to take the opportunity to thank and celebrate, not only our midwives who work at Helme Chase, but all our midwives across Morecambe Bay hospitals, across the UK and around the world”.

To find out more about UHMBT Midwifery services, please visit: www.uhmb.nhs.uk/our-services/maternity

If you are interested in a career in midwifery, please visit The University of Cumbria’s website:

http://www.cumbria.ac.uk/Courses/SubjectAreas/HealthWellbeing/NursingParamedicMidwiferyOH/Midwifery.aspx