Midwife Kelly Sawyer wins London’s ‘Emma’s Diary Mums’ Midwife of the Year 2019’
on 06 February 2019 RCM Annual Midwifery Awards Emma's Diary Midwifery Continuity of Carer - MCOC Home Birth
Nominated by local mum Kasia DiMaria, Kelly Sawyer has been honoured as Emma’s Diary Mums’ Midwife of the Year 2019 for the London region. The prestigious award is one of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Annual Midwifery Awards, recognising the incredible work done by exceptional midwives across the country.
Midwives play such a critical role in so many mums’ lives and the Emma’s Diary Mums’ Midwife of the Year Award enables them to pay a heartfelt tribute to their own special midwife who truly surpassed what was expected of them.
Although Kasia planned to have her baby at home with her first baby, it wasn’t to be and she was transferred to hospital by ambulance after her labour stopped progressing and it was deemed too risky to continue at home. So, after the disappointment of experiencing medical intervention, she so desperately wanted her dream home birth for her second pregnancy.
Kasia was looked after by the community-based home birth team where she met Kelly. Kelly was there every step of Kasia’s journey, providing care throughout her pregnancy, labour and postnatal period. Kelly really got to know Kasia and her family and was only ever a phone call away. Fortunately, Kasia succeeded in having the beautiful home birth she wished for. During labour she felt the tension and fear ebb away on hearing Kelly’s voice, encouraging her to tune in and respond to her body’s natural cues.
Kasia DiMaria, who nominated Kelly for the award, explains: “Kelly’s reassuring presence and compassion reinforced my hopes, confidence and trust in my ability to birth my baby. Kelly also expertly facilitated the whole family’s bonding experience - explaining, encouraging and supporting everyone’s hopes and confidence in bringing baby Martino into the world. It was so special and beautiful for our daughter to be involved in antenatal appointments in preparation for meeting her sibling and my husband also felt considered and looked after by Kelly.
“Her vast knowledge and kindness helped so much when coping with fluctuating emotions, especially in the early days post birth. She helped put me at ease and in charge all at the same time. After the birth, Kelly stayed with us for an unhurried blissful time working her magic and giving us space and precious time to marvel, reflect and most of all bond with our baby boy. Kelly has such a broad set of skills & having continuity of care from her was also super stabilising for my mental health. Kelly has a natural gift, is full of warmth, enthusiasm and genuine compassion which manifests in everything she does.”
On winning the award Kelly Sawyer, who works for Croydon Health Services NHS Trust in its Crocus Home Birth team, adds: “It’s a real honour and a privilege to have received this award. There are so many pressures on midwifery today, particularly in providing continuity of care, but women like Kasia make my job an absolute dream.”
Emma’s Diary, the UK’s essential support resource for mums to be and new parents, received a record 953 nominations from mums across the UK. All entries were put through a meticulous judging process by a panel of representatives from both Emma’s Diary and the RCM, culminating in seven regional winners.
The RCM’s Annual Awards, now in its 17th year, will be hosted for the first time by popular TV presenter Alex Jones on 5th March 2019. Mum of one, Alex, best known for hosting The One Show, is currently pregnant with her second child. Kelly will join the six other regional winners at a celebratory ceremony in London, where Kelly will receive her trophy and find out who is crowned the coveted national winner.
Faye Mingo, Emma’s Diary’s Chief Marketing Officer, comments: “This is now the fourth consecutive year that we have sponsored this award and the compassion and dedication demonstrated by these midwives continues to blow us away. We have yet again been overwhelmed with entries from mums nominating their extraordinary midwife for the pivotal role they played in their pregnancy and birth journey. Reading their stories is a truly humbling experience and we are so delighted for Kelly, who is so deserving of this extra recognition.”
Gill Walton, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “This is such a wonderful story of how a caring, skilled and knowledgeable midwife can have a profound and positive effect on a woman’s pregnancy journey. Kasia obviously valued the continuity of care provided by Kelly throughout her pregnancy, labour and postnatal period, highlighting why continuity is so important for women and the wider family. I thank Kasia for nominating Kelly and congratulate her on the birth of Martino. This is well deserved recognition for Kelly and I am delighted for her.”
Notes to Editors:
Emma’s Diary Mums’ Midwife of the Year Award – the judging process
Nominations were triple reviewed and a strict scoring system was applied to whittle down the entries to a shortlist of 6-8 per region, before the overall regional winner was announced. Attributes including aiding the strengthening of the bond between mother and baby, support for their emotional care and best practice in helping the mother feel involved and in control were all carefully assessed. In total seven regional winners were awarded from the regions London, South, Midlands & East England, North of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Emma’s Diary
Emma’s Diary is the UK’s essential support resource for mums to be and new parents. Offering advice and support on pregnancy and early post-natal information, via responsible and reliable content that is verified by our very own Healthcare Team (made up of GPs and Midwives) and supported by the RCM.
Emma’s Diary is an Alliance Partner of the RCM, continually working together to provide information and understanding to improve the health and wellbeing of expectant mothers and new families.
Emma’s Diary supports every stage of the journey towards parenthood and beyond by making useful recommendations that match the ongoing needs of all new mums, helping to make the experience of motherhood a positive and reassuring one while offering peace of mind that any information given is medically verified.
Members of Emma’s Diary Parenting Club will also benefit from pregnancy and labour guides, great offers, discounts and free gift packs full of relevant samples to support their pregnancy and post-natal journey.
For more information visit www.emmasdiary.co.uk or contact Emma’s Diary on 01628 522776 or emma@emmasdiary.co.uk.
The Royal College of Midwives
The RCM is the only professional organisation and trade union dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team. We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance and information, and learning opportunities with our broad range of events, conferences and online resources.
The Alliance partnership scheme develops relations with like-minded organisations who share similar values and goals. The partnership enables the Royal College of Midwives to promote our work and commitment to maternity professionals.
RCM Alliance Partners
Partners in the Alliance programme work hard to advance the interests of midwives and the midwifery profession. Shared ethics and ideas combine in dedicated support of midwives and all those touched by their care and the Alliance strives to enhance the wellbeing of women, babies and their families. For more information see our Alliance Partners section.
For more information visit the RCM website at https://www.rcm.org.uk/.