In the first episode of our Maternity Care podcast series, we delve into the challenges in midwifery practice today. Our guest, Cara McCarthy, an experienced former midwife, offers an insightful perspective on the complexities and evolving dynamics within the field.

THE KEY CHALLENGES HIGHLIGHTED IN MATERNITY CARE:

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  Increasing Complexity of Care
  "We see a lot more older women, and women from different parts of the world who haven’t had as robust antenatal preparation as offered in the Western world," Cara shares. This demographic shift introduces diverse cultural backgrounds and varying levels of antenatal education, necessitating more personalised and comprehensive care approaches.

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  Staffing Shortages
  The midwifery profession faces a significant decline in workforce numbers. With the workload increasing, midwife numbers cannot keep up with the demand. This shortage is exacerbated by the retirement of seasoned midwives and the barriers preventing aspiring midwives from entering the field. Cara explains, "It makes it more difficult for those women who want to be midwives but aren’t able to do a full-time university degree when they have childcare to think of and a family to look after."

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  Impact of External Factors
  The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected maternity services. "From 2020 onwards, we are still not back to where we were in 2019 with some of the restrictions still in place and services offered," Cara observes. The pandemic has led to limited service availability and reduced patient choices, contributing to decreased satisfaction levels.

Despite these challenges, midwifery professionals are steadfast in their commitment to providing exceptional maternal and newborn nursing care. Cara proudly emphasizes, "We are extremely lucky in Europe that we have accessibility to state-of-the-art treatment and highly qualified healthcare staff."