Celebrate IDM in style

By Julie Griffiths on 16 April 2018 IDM - International Day of the Midwife

RCM members including midwives, MSWs and student midwives from across the UK are preparing to celebrate International Day of the Midwife (IDM) in style on 5 May.

The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Midwives leading the way with quality care’ and the RCM is supporting branches and midwifery societies to hold events and activities to mark this special global day of midwifery celebration.

In Sheffield, up to 90 midwives have planned a Call the midwife themed bike ride and will cycle a four-mile route to help raise £10,000 to fund three new birthing pools at the Jessop Wing maternity unit.

To support this event, midwifery students from Sheffield Hallam University (pictured) have organised a refreshment stop halfway through the route.

Other IDM activities and events registered so far include Caring for You tea parties to trolley dashes, study days, and a netball and networking event to name just a few.

This year the RCM’s hugely popular competition ‘The great midwifery cake off’* will be returning. It’s a chance for any members who have a flair for baking to get creative and bake a midwifery inspired cake.

RCM head of organising and engagement Denise Linay said: ‘Midwives, MSWs and student midwives work tirelessly everyday to deliver safe high-quality care to women, their babies and families and IDM gives us a real opportunity to celebrate that.

‘So if you are planning to celebrate IDM, there is still plenty of time to get in touch and tell us what your branch is planning to do. All events, no matter how large or small, will be supported in some way by the RCM.

‘On IDM some of our members will reunite with the women they cared for along with the babies they delivered and given that this year’s theme focuses on quality of care I think that these type of events are very fitting.’

Photograph taken outside the Jessop Wing at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. From left to right: community matron Alison Elsworth, labour ward matron Marcia Gill, and midwives Carolyn Clarke, Sarah Davies, Amanda Muller, Alison Carey, Vicky Lee, Janette Pembleton, Bev Woodhead, Steph Cross, Donna Blackwell, Leanne Rutowski and Adele Stanley.