Welcoming new lives

zaira villagra Midwife San José de Arica Hospital

Everything has had to be different during this time, because in normal times our patients have their partners or another close family member, with them throughout their labour, who are there to support them. At times of pain such as this, which is of course a natural part of childbirth, they have psychological and emotional support. During the birth, having their loved ones nearby is really important. Then, when they leave the birthing suite, when you are with all the emotions of the birth of your child, it is important to be able to share that with your closest loved ones. Now it’s all different and you can’t see your family and tell them: I went through such and such last night, I felt or feel such and such. And especially when they are breastfeeding they are worried the baby isn’t feeding properly and have lots of little questions and worries that they need advice on and need listening to. Now, the partners come onto the ward only at the moment of birth, and that is the only time they are physically present.

We work with patients in the emergency unit too, and they go through exactly the same feelings, because we care for them wearing ppe. It is rather shocking for them to see someone totally geared up and who can’t get near to them. I have been through the same with my little daughter. Even though she knows well that mama works at a hospital and knows that when I get home I have to clean up and go through the process of desinfection and that I can’t touch her. To be honest, we have just done To be honest, we have just everything we can so that births happen in done everything we can a normal atmosphere, so that the mothers so that births happen in a are happy to have been here. Our objective has been, with each one of them, that such a normal atmosphere, so that natural physiological process can be a good the mothers are happy to have experience for them. Covid is out there, and it obviously has an impact, but we have done been here. our best to be there for each of them and make these births special, because new lives are coming into the world. The patients need comforting, because they can’t have visitors. Because they haven’t been able to have visitors or anyone to talk to we, the midwives, have needed to be much closer and more attentive. In maternity, the shift midwife is in charge of emergencies, new births, post-op, incoming gynaecological and obstetrics patients and the same patients when they leave the hospital. So there is a vast range of duties. You want to look after everything well, give your best, not let anything go wrong, no adverse events, and you have a lot to deal with, but you are still content, because you see all of it, all the good things that happen on the shifts. It is very satisfying. In this situation, some mothers were very eager to be discharged because they wanted to get home to be with their families. For us, it is clear that some mothers that they wish to go home as soon as possible after the birth. But at the same time, many of them were really grateful, because they have had to become mothers in a pandemic, and they are very grateful for all the time we spent with them. Sometimes, at 3 a.m. they ring the bell because they are stressed, they can’t feed the baby, they are in pain. So you go and help them so that the babies can calm down and stop crying. That gives the mothers a rest. It means a lot to them that someone who is not a family member is helping them.

ARICA — CHILE

We have had to learn how to support them yet at a distance, in a certain way. We can’t hug them or massage them when they are giving birth or take their hand or stroke their forehead. We have had to show our empathy in a more psychological way and supportive than ever before. Knowing how to comfort someone without touching them has been both a personal and professional learning curve.�