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28 Jan 2010 11:07:49
TV presenter Fern Britton spilled the beans on her childbirth experiences to some 100 University of Bedfordshire student midwives.
Fern was the opening speaker at a special, one-day conference at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire organised by University Practice Educator Melanie Brooke-Read around the theme Expectations.
Fern said: “I didn’t want to be a TV presenter; I always wanted to be a midwife so I was thrilled when Mel asked me to speak at this conference. I had all my four children at Wycombe Hospital and was very well looked after there.
“It’s the small things that mean so much when you are having a baby – the copious cups of tea, the kind words. Midwives see you at your most vulnerable and they go beyond the call of duty to reassure you that everything is going to be alright. They do a fantastic job.”
The conference was attended by student midwives who are training at hospitals in Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire as well as National Childbirth Trust (NCT) antenatal student teachers at the University.
Other speakers on the platform came from specialist organisations including the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID), the NCT, CMACE (Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiry) and the Down’s Syndrome Association.
Melanie said: “Every mother to be has an ‘expectation’ about her childbirth experience and sometimes these expectations are not met. For instance, how do you support a mother who expects her baby to be born healthy but isn’t?
“Some mothers expect a normal birth but because of circumstances they have to have a caesarean section. The speakers gave our student midwives plenty to think about and I hope the conference identified ways in which students can develop to support women fully and compassionately.”
Year 2 Student midwife Vicky Slade said: “Thank you for a brilliant conference. I learnt so much and got an invaluable insight into topics I hope will make me a better midwife.”
NCT student teacher Gail Murphy added: “What an excellent workshop. It was such a varied programme. All the talks were extremely interesting, useful and thought provoking.”
Pic caption - Fern is pictured with Mel (second from left) and other University staff
Latest news» 2010» January» Fern spills the beans to student midwives
