Patter of Tiny Feet
About Me
Mid-wife (mid-wif): Taken from middle English “mid”+”wif” meaning “with woman”; one who assists other woman in childbirth
Hello I am Liz, a midwife with more than 30 years’ experience in clinical practice in hospital and community settings, midwifery education and research. This is my story....
How it began....
Childhood aspirations
From around age 8, I knew I wanted to work on the community after finding a photograph in a drawer of a relative who was a nurse. She looked so smart, professional and something I really aspired to be. I followed this through and started my state registered nurse training following A levels.
During training we had the option to do three months maternity or three months psychiatry, I chose maternity and was completely hooked, applying for midwife training before my nurse training had completed.
My Community Role
Once qualified I worked in the main maternity unit (with a brief return to nursing which only consolidated my resolve for midwifery) until I secured my community post. I joined a small team which covered a domiciliary midwifery birthing service at small rural birth centers, home births and the main hospital maternity unit giving me a broad range of varied experience in all areas of midwifery practice.
Community working in primary care settings presented opportunities to get involved in public health initiatives including aquanatal classes and parent education working with other practitioners in locality-based service provision. We were truly part of the community knowing families through each unique childbearing journey.
Academic career
Working as a lecturer gave me another option to offer midwifery knowledge and skills to childbearing women, by educating and training the next generation of midwives for the profession. Student midwives provide individualised care for a small caseload of women during the latter part of their training to aid their development as practitioners ready for registration, an aspect I was specifically keen to nurture from my community experience.
In 2018, I completed a research project exploring women's experience of wellbeing and peer support by their attendance at aquanatal classes, linking clinical practice to social science theories of childbearing transitions. Listening to women's voices gave valuable insight into the personal and behavioural changes women navigate during childbearing, from internal and social perspectives.
Where am I now....
Promoting individualised care
As a registered midwife, I remain passionate about empowering women as they become mothers, answering questions, providing information and advice during impromptu and more formal interactions in any community-based setting.
I have been incredibly lucky to have met every one of the women (and their families) I have had the privilege to support so far, and continue to do so, during pregnancy, labour, birth and beyond. Each person has taught me not just about themselves, but about their journey to parenthood, by sharing their thoughts, and questions as they navigated their individual path.
Today, I seek to ensure every family has enough information to make the right choices for them and enjoy the experience of pregnancy and birth using a set of skills that are accessible to everyone. Understanding the process of labour and birth provides a sound foundation for childbirth and for new parents to adjust to caring for new life so they can thrive as parents.
What I offer
Current services I provide:
Midwife-led aquanatal classes at a leisure center.
1:1 and small group instruction in baby massage having trained with Cherubs Training Academy (Hampshire).
Comprehensive hypnobirthing techniques to women who wish to use deep relaxation, visualisation and breathwork during pregnancy and for labour and birth. This is complemented by antenatal and birth preparation information, and postnatal wellbeing teaching and support.
A consultation service for pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal recovery. This can include discussion about birth plans, birth options for breech, pelvic girdle difficulties, diastasis recti, pelvic floor issues and just a listening ear for when you need to consider information for a decision.
Patter of Tiny Feet
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