3) Placement Reflections: Two Worlds, One Journey

 

At the end of the first block of my second-year placement, I was allocated time between the Central Delivery Suite (CDS) and the Birthing Unit. These two environments could not have felt more different. The Birthing Unit is designed to support low-risk, physiological births, promoting choice, autonomy, and minimal intervention. In contrast, CDS is a more medicalised environment, caring for women who require closer monitoring and higher levels of intervention. Moving between these two settings often felt like stepping between two worlds, yet it offered me an invaluable insight into the full spectrum of maternity care.

Despite being placed on the Birthing Unit, it was frequently required to close due to staffing shortages on the Central Delivery Suite. When this happened, the majority of midwives from the Birthing Unit would be redeployed to CDS to help maintain safe staffing levels. Although a small presence was usually maintained, the impact of these pressures was impossible to ignore. Witnessing this first hand felt deeply reflective of the times we are living in and highlighted just how stretched maternity services have become.

During this placement, I was fortunate enough to facilitate seven births. What initially felt like a daunting change of trust turned out to be an incredibly positive experience. The staff were welcoming, kind, and endlessly supportive, and I genuinely looked forward to attending placement each day. Feeling part of such a compassionate and resilient team allowed me to build confidence and embrace every learning opportunity regardless of how unpredictable each shift became.

One of the most meaningful highlights of this placement was supporting women to use water during labour. I was able to facilitate the use of birthing pools, something I am particularly passionate about, and it felt incredibly rewarding. One experience that will stay with me forever was my first home birth. The woman laboured and delivered her baby in a birthing pool at home, supported by her partner and her mother. The atmosphere was calm, quiet, and deeply intimate. She was completely in control of her body and her birth, and it was a privilege to witness such a powerful example of physiological labour.

At moments during this birth, I remember feeling as though I had very little to do. Yet I quickly realised that my role was not about intervention, but about presence. I was there to guide, reassure, protect the space, and support the woman’s confidence in her own body. That experience reinforced for me how powerful midwifery-led care can be, and how sometimes the most meaningful support is quiet and unseen.

Alongside these beautiful experiences, this placement also brought my first emergency situation. It challenged me emotionally and professionally, and ultimately became one of the most formative learning experiences of my training so far.

The woman presented with reduced fetal movements. On assessment, it was identified that her baby was in a breech position. A successful External Cephalic Version (ECV) was performed, allowing the baby to turn to a head down (cephalic) position. Following this, her waters were artificially broken, and labour was augmented with oxytocin.

Once on oxytocin, her labour progressed rapidly. As she reached the pushing stage, it became clear that the baby was not tolerating labour well. The fetal heart rate dropped significantly, falling below the mother’s own heart rate. For the first time in my training, the emergency buzzer had to be pulled while I was present.

In that moment, my focus was entirely on the woman. I calmly explained that the emergency bell had been called and that additional staff would be coming into the room. I reassured her not to be alarmed, but emphasised that we now needed to work quickly to help her baby. I remember telling her that every push mattered  and she understood the assignment. She gave everything she had. Throughout this intense situation, the doctors were fully aware of my presence as a student midwife and were exceptional in the way they supported me. They guided me step by step and explained what was happening and what I needed to do, and ensured I felt included in safely facilitating the birth of this baby. I am incredibly grateful for their teaching and reassurance during such a high pressure moment.

Despite the intensity of the situation, the outcome was the best possible one. The baby was born safely and both mother and baby were well. This birth happened to be the final one I facilitated on my last shift of the placement. Although it was daunting, it ended on a high and left me feeling proud of how far I have come and reassured in my ability to remain calm and supportive under pressure.

As I now turn my focus to my assignment due just after Christmas, I carry all of these experiences with me into my academic work. After a month back at uni, I will return to placement again in February. Reflecting on this placement I feel incredibly grateful and deeply honoured to be part of such intimate, challenging, and life changing moments in people’s lives.

What stands out to me most, however, is the unwavering dedication of the midwives I worked alongside. The hours they put in, the pressure they work under, and the constant scrutiny midwifery faces in the media is immense. And yet shift after shift, these midwives show up with compassion, professionalism, and an unrelenting commitment to the women and families in their care. They care deeply about every person who walks through the door and want nothing more than to facilitate a healthy birth with the best possible outcome.

I am truly in awe of them. In my eyes, these women are angels! Resilient, selfless, and fiercely dedicated. Being able to learn from them during this placement has only strengthened my desire to become a midwife and to advocate for a profession that deserves far more recognition, protection, and support than it currently receives.