HAZARDOUS TERRAIN – PART 1: THE EMOTIONAL LANDSCAPE OF MIDWIFERY

Abstract

The first research study of trauma exposure and its impact on midwives was published as recently as 2013.1 The last decade has seen plenty written in academic literature about the occupational hazards of midwifery. Very little of it has reached the everyday midwife in NHS practice or the student midwife in educational settings. This article seeks to bridge the gap – bringing current research into plain sight so that midwives can begin to feel the relief of ‘It’s not just me…’ and stop self-blaming with ‘I’m not cut out for this’. The pandemic and current staffing crisis has made it even more obvious that there is a need for clarity and action around our psychological realities.