When Rachael Pilling first started her training to become a midwife, she had no idea just how much the job entailed. Now, ten years later, she’s still seeing expectant mothers through with a steady hand.
Many people think midwives are similar to nurses, but their role is actually very different. Rachael’s intensive three-year course included anatomy, physiology and sociology. “For the first year, we spent most of our time in school. After that, our schedules were split 50/50 between the classroom and the practical placements that often happened during night shifts and weekends,” says the native of the Cotswolds in central England.
The profession is much harder work than it may sound. “A lot of people think all we do is cuddle babies but it can be emotionally and physically draining – midwives have a huge amount of responsibility. Since working here at the Women’s Health Centre though, I’ve been able to get to know the mothers on a one-to-one basis and some have even popped in with their babies afterwards, which is so rewarding.”
How is the job of a midwife different than that of a doctor? “The word midwife means ‘with woman’ and midwives are advocates for the women in their care. Midwives are specialists in normal pregnancy, so we can look after mothers from conception until after delivery. As well as caring for women during pregnancy, we can provide full support during labour, deliver the baby, and help with breastfeeding and caring for the baby afterwards, so long as everything is normal. Once something deviates from the normal, then we have to call the doctor.”
Abu Dhabi Week visited the Women’s Health Centre to find out how Rachael spends a typical day.
6.15am: The alarm goes off – again. “I try to get up at 6.00 but I find it very hard! We live in Khalidiya, which isn’t too far from the clinic, so once I drag myself out of bed, I have time to get ready and check my Facebook before I come to work.”
8am: Rachael arrives at work and dives right in. “If I’ve got patients, I start seeing them straight away. As midwives, we provide the same antenatal examination as doctors; such as assessment of blood pressure, urine testing, assessment of growth and position of the baby, and monitoring of the heartbeat. If everything is normal, patients can have all their antenatal care with a midwife until they reach full-term.”
10.20am: Another expectant mother waddles in and greets Rachael with a kiss on both cheeks. They’ve got to know each other quite well over the course of the patient’s pregnancy. “As a midwife, I can take time to go through leaflets with my patients or look up things online – if they ask a question and I don’t know the answer, then we look it up together.”
1.30pm: Back in the clinic after a quick lunch break, Rachael chats at length with a new mum. “After their first visit, which takes longer, patients are booked for 20 minute appointments but we can sometimes spend more time with them, depending on the clinic schedule. How well we get to know our patients depends on how early in the pregnancy they come in – the earlier they come, the better.”
3pm: A couple arrive, excited about their first ultrasound scan. “A lot of women prefer coming to the Women’s Health Centre because they can more easily bring their husbands to all their appointments and scans. They can also do this in the main Corniche Hospital but here husbands and wives can wait together in the waiting room and it’s a more pleasurable experience for them.”
5pm: The last patients have gone, so Rachael and her colleagues get everything in order before leaving for the day – “We have to keep a record of everything we say and do, so it’s important to ensure our documentation is up to date.” Then it’s exercise time for Rachael. “I try to swim or go to the gym or do some yoga, but my husband will laugh when he reads this because I am not always very motivated! I often just end up on the sofa!”
7pm: After a busy day Rachael takes to the kitchen with her husband. “I make the side dishes while my husband cooks the mains – he’s American so he loves cooking meat on the grill. Apparently it’s all about how many burners you’ve got!” laughs Rachael.
Final Thoughts: “Coming to the midwives clinic is more of a personal experience. We bond with our women and we feel passionately that we want to defend what she wants and give her the birth that she wants. Pregnancy is not an illness, and we want to treat it like a positive, pleasurable experience.”
Make an appointment with a midwife at the Corniche Hospital Women’s Health Centre. For more information and a detailed map, go to www.cornichehospital.ae or call 02 697 5888.
Laura Fulton
