INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE MIDWIFE. HANNAH CLARK GIVES US AN INSPIRATIONAL INSIGHT.
This Sunday, May 5th, marks the annual International Day of the Midwife. Every year the day has a theme – this year’s theme links to COP28, the UN Climate Change Conference that took place earlier this year. The theme celebrates midwives as care providers and defenders of women’s sexual and reproductive health and sees them as key players in designing resilient health systems capable of withstanding the worst impacts of climate change.
We contacted Hannah Clark, ex-student of Richmond School and seven years into her career as a midwife, with some questions about her current role and the journey she took to get there. Hannah was generous enough to write us a fantastic, detailed reply, giving us an insight into her time at school and the interesting path she took to becoming a midwife. Thank you Hannah!
Her account follows…
Firstly, thank you so much for this opportunity to celebrate International Day of the Midwife! I am very proud to be a midwife. Caring for families and assisting new life into the world is genuinely an absolute privilege. This year will be my seventh year qualified, and I am still amazed and excited every day at work. Delivering babies is the most wonderful thing!
I attended Richmond School from 2002 – 2007 and completed my GCSEs there. I had an absolute blast at Richmond School, from my first Lower School Dinner in Year 7 to making our return for the Year 11 Prom. Although I now feel that I have found my calling in life, as a teenager it wasn’t always entirely clear to me what I’d like to do with my life. I had lots of hobbies and interests at school, but was mostly a jack of some trades and master of none! At GCSE level, I opted to study French, history, art and dance. During these years of school, as well as my studies, I represented the school at hockey, netball and enjoyed extracurricular dance and club swimming. Secondary school, as for most, was a bit of a rollercoaster. Despite this, I always felt reassuringly supported by all of the staff at Richmond School throughout my time as a student. Mr Hesleton’s unparalleled motivation during our study of The Lord of The Flies. Ms Hargest was always unbelievably patient in our dance classes. And I can still hear Madame Norman patiently saying ‘d’accord’ whilst we attempted to order a scoop of ice cream from each other in French lessons.
I excelled more in core subjects at GCSE and so went on to study English literature, philosophy & ethics and maths at A level. I felt that these subjects offered enough breadth to leave options open for undergraduate study. I loosely toyed with the idea of studying business or management, briefly considered fashion, and eventually settled on midwifery studies. I am not entirely sure what drew me to the profession, but it just felt like something I could enjoy. I achieved grades of A, A, C respectively, and naively assumed that this would secure me a place to study midwifery at university. Initially I applied with my peers, but swiftly received rejections from four out of five of the universities I’d applied for. Although I was predicted to achieve adequate grades, I had studied the wrong subjects! I was offered one interview in Southampton, which was a disaster to say the least, but character building all the same. During my time in sixth form I continued to enjoy sports: hockey, but mainly netball, playing for the sixth form first team and club netball in Barnard Castle. I also worked part time in a restaurant, gaining some great transferable skills and life experience.
I took a ‘gap year’, which evolved into four, and studied biology part time at a night class. During this time, I was fortunate enough to be offered an admin apprenticeship at Richmond School. Returning as a member of staff as opposed to a student was an interesting experience, but ultimately taught me life and transferable professional skills that allowed me to reapply to university for a second time. With the invaluable help of Mr Robertson, I rewrote my personal statement and applied for midwifery studies again.
With an extra qualification and some life and work experience under my belt, I was offered four interviews. I attended three of the interviews and was offered places at each university. I accepted a place at Northumbria University. I was under no illusion that the degree would be hard work and so decided to live at home whilst studying. I joined a cohort of 20 wonderful people and had another rollercoaster three years of study, combined with a placement and a part time job. It was hard work but always unbelievably rewarding.
It very quickly became apparent to me, as a student midwife, that I was doing exactly what I needed to do with my life. I have often said to colleagues that I didn’t really know that it was the job for me and quite how much I would love it, until I started doing it. But I have absolutely no regrets. Although the road to qualifying wasn’t straightforward, it was worth the bumpy ride.
One really profound experience for me as a student midwife, was undertaking a placement in Denmark during the second year of my degree. I never expected the opportunity to travel whilst studying, but another student and I were afforded the opportunity to visit a small town called Holbæk. We worked within Maternity Services and Intensive Care during our time there. I genuinely feel that it shaped me as a midwife. I worked with the most unbelievable midwife, Hanne Willer. She was undertaking a huge piece of research at the time and remains one of the most remarkable humans and midwives I’ve had the privilege of meeting. Students and midwives in Denmark are now taught the Wille Manoeuvre as a method of delivering a baby based on her research. (And if you ever get the chance, visit Copenhagen!)
I qualified with First-class Honours and was lucky enough to secure a job within the trust that I trained. I have to thank all my wonderful colleagues for everything that they have taught me over the last ten years.
Two years ago, I applied for the position of Delivery Suite Coordinator. Although I had provisionally applied for experience, I was offered the position as a permanent post. This has been a steep learning curve for me, but one I have enjoyed very much. Essentially, my role is to maintain a ‘helicopter view’ or oversight of safety of the patients on the Delivery Suite and the rest of the department, whilst offering clinical support to midwifery colleagues and supporting medical staff with all that they have to juggle. I really love my job and have learned a lot in the last few years. Amongst this I support the Perinatal Mental Health team with the Birth Reflection Clinic, am a bereavement advocate caring for families when they suffer a bereavement, and am always open to any new opportunities that crop up! I am hoping to undertake a couple of Masters modules in the near future. Ultimately, I hope to achieve the qualifications that I need to remain clinical but with advanced skills. There is nothing better than supporting people through their journey into parenthood.
If I could give any advice to my teenage self, anyone aspiring to be a midwife, or anything else I would encourage you to listen to all of the advice you’re being given. It sounds like the most obvious thing in the world, but it’s almost always being given by people who have learned it for themselves, and often the hard way.
Other than that, I would just encourage you all to be yourself, work hard, take opportunities – however hard or nonsensical they may seem, they might be worth it. Do something meaningful with your life, however that looks for you. Eventually school will be replaced by whatever you decide to do for a living and it is so much more enjoyable if it brings you satisfaction, purpose and meaning.’
Photos:
The pictures are from our time in Denmark, my lovely cohort of midwives, and my mugshot for the senior midwives board at work!