Midwives seek greater recognition, resources

Leaders in the nursing profession on Friday called for increased appreciation and support for the vital but often undervalued work of midwives.

“Midwives are often called an invisible force. They play a vital role in health care yet their contributions are not always fully recognised or appreciated,” said Dr Fay Parris, president of the Barbados Nurses Association (BNA), in remarks at a conference, Midwives: A Vital Climate Solution.

The conference, held to mark International Day of the Midwife on May 5, emphasised midwives’ role as “guardians of life and stewards of the planet”.

Dr Parris said their impact extends beyond delivery rooms to environmental advocacy benefiting future generations. She said midwives work tirelessly to provide essential prenatal, childbirth, and postpartum care, but their efforts frequently get overshadowed by focus on just the healthy outcome for mothers and babies.

The BNA head argued that midwives deserve more respect, autonomy, training investment, resources, and a voice in policymaking.

“Midwives prioritise safe and positive experiences, which don’t always make headlines,” she told the forum. “They collaborate with other healthcare professionals . . . . Their teamwork ensures seamless care, but it can lead to their individual contributions being overshadowed. Midwives advocate for informed choices, personalised care, evidence based practices and their educational role empowers families. But this advocacy work often happens quietly, and the lack of designated job titles for midwives fails to acknowledge your unique and essential role to the health and well-being of mothers, newborns, families and communities. We should engage in activities to raise awareness about the impact of midwives . . . . Let us recognise and honour our invisible heroes – the midwife.”

Rosalind Beckles, who chairs the BNA’s midwifery group, echoed the call, noting there are only 127 registered midwives in Barbados, with 83 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

“Let us also seek to reward them with greater recognition, autonomy to practice independently, investment in training, greater resources to work with and most of all, a seat at the bargaining decision and policy-making table,” Beckles said.

Community health nurse Andrea Cadogan highlighted the high workload, revealing that in 2023 alone, 4 007 women visited antenatal clinics across the island’s polyclinics. She advocated expanding midwives’ scope to offer gynaecological services.