On international day of the midwife we focus on caring for ourselves with student midwife Madyasa Vijber. Madyasa is doing her final internship in midwifery, is a doula, and is regularly involved in feminist and anti-racist activism in the Netherlands. 

She speaks out about our lack of resistance to the system in the form of self-care and raises awareness about mental health of midwives and midwifery students.

Further reading:

Websites

•  https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/
•  https://radhawilsonjeffries.co.uk/

Books

•  Lorde, A. (2007). Sister Outsider. Crossing Press.- Beaumont, E., Durkin, M., 
• Kirkham, M. (2000). The Midwife-mother Relationship. Macmillan Publishers.
• Nagoski, E., & Nagoski, A. D. (2020). Burnout. Penguin Random House.
• Brown, B. (2012). The Power of Vulnerability: Teachings on Authenticity, Connection and Courage (1ste ed.). Sounds True, Inc.

Articles:

• Hollins Martin, C. J., & Carson, J. (2016). Compassion for others, self-compassion, quality of life and mental well-being measures and their association with compassion fatigue and burnout in student midwives: A quantitative survey. Midwifery, 34, 239–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2015.11.002
• Durkin, M., Beaumont, E., Hollins Martin, C. J., & Carson, J. (2016). A pilot study exploring the relationship between self-compassion, self-judgement, self-kindness, compassion, professional quality of life and wellbeing among UK community nurses. Nurse Education Today, 46, 109–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2016.08.030
• Warmelink, J. C., Hoijtink, K., Noppers, M., Wiegers, T. A., de Cock, T. P., Klomp, T., & Hutton, E. K. (2015). An explorative study of factors contributing to the job satisfaction of primary care midwives. Midwifery, 31(4), 482–488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2014.12.003
• Fenwick, J., Sidebotham, M., Gamble, J., & Creedy, D. K. (2018). The emotional and professional wellbeing of Australian midwives: A comparison between those providing continuity of midwifery care and those not providing continuity. Women and Birth, 31(1), 38–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2017.06.013

Contractions is produced by Rodante van der Waal and Vinny Taylor. Contact: Rodantevanderwaal@gmail.com