Episode 13: A MIDWIFE SPECIAL, with Denise Camilleri

KEY TOPICS: 1 birth, fast labour, natural birth, positive experience, midwife

To finish season 1, it’s wonderful to welcome local midwife Denise Camilleri with almost 20 years experience delivering babies on the Rock! This episode is in two halves – the first is an insight into the Maternity Unit at St Bernard’s Hospital and the workload of a midwife, as Denise gives a fascinating insight into trends over time and her many varied professional experiences.

The second half is her own positive story from naturally delivering her son in 2016... imagine giving birth in your workplace! She shares the techniques that she found to be successful, and gives advice to women preparing for pregnancy and labour (see the chapters below for topics covered). Huge thanks to Denise for this incredibly engaging and inspiring episode!

03:10 – Work of the Maternity Unit: Staff numbers, shifts and caseloads. What’s the most babies born in a 24hr period? Does a full moon really affect activity?

14:09 – Pandemic: How did restrictions impact midwives, mothers and birthing partners?

18:30 – The Waiting Room: Support versus pressure from family members, plus recent changes.

23:54 – Parental Education Classes: Teaching parents-to-be about labour, pain relief, coping mechanisms, infant feeding and newborn care.

27:37 – Birth Plans: Preferences versus reality, pressure of own expectations, impact of emotions such as guilt, fear and stress; benefits of staying open-minded

35:04 – Mindset Tools: Mantras, hypnobirthing & mindfulness, plus the negative impact of phones on the ward.

38:25 – Birthing Pool: Can women have a water birth in Gibraltar?

40:37 – Birthing Interventions: Have caesarean rates increased, and if so, why? How important is maternal self-care?

45:40 – The Hard Stuff: How do midwives cope when things go wrong? And when a baby dies?

51:15 – What Women Say: What are some of the strangest/funniest things labouring mothers say? How do you handle confrontation at work?

56:33 – Qualities to be a Midwife: Compassion, empathy, patience and communication to name but a few! What are the career path options into midwifery?

1:01:23 – Recognition of Maternity Unit Work: Do people on the outside realise the value of the Unit? What’s the community perception of midwifery work?

1:03:00 – Kids Grow Up: What’s it like to see the babies and mothers years later? How many babies have you delivered across your career?

1:05:40 – DENISE’S BIRTH STORY

Denise reflects on the questions: Can you be a good midwife if you’ve never had a baby? And does it help or hinder to have extensive maternity knowledge?

She describes a good pregnancy in her mid-30’s, with nutrition and self-care very important in helping her feel well. Denise went into labour spontaneously at 38 weeks, and explains how she juggled her professional training versus the uncertainty and pain of a new mother as contractions increased and a fast birth approached. Delivering her baby alongside colleagues, she describes a positive and instinctual experience, as well as her adjustment to feeding and parenthood. Thank you Denise for this amazing episode!

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