Being a midwife with a stoma

Every person in this world has been cared for by a midwife whether that be during pregnancy, in labour, or as a neonate. It was actually the actions of a midwife that led to my life being saved.

I have wanted to work in healthcare for as long as I can remember, spending my life in and out of hospital must have swayed me towards a career in the NHS. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, there are so many paths to choose from, and I just knew my place was helping other people.

I think there are many similarities between going through a stoma journey and the journey of pregnancy, they both encompass huge physical changes along with the emotional and mental demands. Even though I haven’t had children yet or experienced pregnancy and birth, going through such a significant health journey helps me to emphasise with women and their families.

As I developed as a midwife I found a passion for supporting women with disabilities or additional needs and improving their care experience. Living with the outcome of a rare disease has taught me how difficult it can be to go through such big life events whilst coping with a disability and also how hard it can be to access healthcare suited to individual needs. I have cared for women and families in their most vulnerable moments including spending shifts in the critical care unit, helping women mobilise after surgery, moments that I can truly emphasise with.

There have been some moments that have really challenged me due to past trauma, watching a patient go under a general anaesthetic in an emergency has proven to be very stressful for me but over time I have managed my emotions well to support the woman in that moment as best I can. One time I had the pleasure of scrubbing in theatre, this meant I could get ‘right on in there’, it was amazing to be able take part in such an important surgery.

For five years now I have been working in the maternity setting. Three of these years were spent training on the maternity wards whilst I was reversed, struggling through shifts with loose stools, pain and sore skin. Looking back on my time at university, I often wonder how I managed to get through it. I had my stoma surgery 4 days after qualifying as a midwife.

The jump from being a student to being qualified in healthcare is huge. The responsibility that you have from that first day you put your blue uniform on is immense.  10 weeks after my stoma surgery I started my new job, working as a midwife in labour ward. Not only was I re-navigating life with a stoma, I also had a new found responsibility of caring for women in the most stressful environment in maternity. 

Telling colleagues

It was hard to know whether to tell colleagues about my stoma. I decided to not hide the fact I have a stoma and to be open when an opportunity came to talk about it. The majority of staff have been very positive about it and have taken time to ask questions. By telling others it felt easier to ask for help on days I was not feeling my best.

Bag changes at work

Bag bursts at work have always been a bit of a worry for me. When I get a leak it’s usually quite significant and requires a full outfit change which is quite time consuming. I have had a few memorable bag bursts at work but have managed to resolve these quite discreetly thanks to supportive staff. I always make sure I have enough supplies to hand and a spare change of uniform just in-case.

Long hours

Working shifts has been my biggest struggle at work, I do really enjoy nightshifts as the ward tend to have less hustle and bustle and the dimmed lights help all of the good birth hormones.

Healthcare workers often get ‘nightshift belly’ which is only intensified when you have a bowel problem. Bloating can become very sore overnight and working in such a busy environment doesn’t allow much time to rest or sit down, this always made my symptoms worse. I regularly came home from nightshift with so much abdominal pain and back pain that I spent my next day off just recovering ready for my next shift.

Nutrition and hydration were also quite difficult for me, I would often forget to drink during a shift and go home with my water bottle almost full. Each day I didn’t know exactly what I would feel like eating and drinking do I always packed for any eventuality.

Working in labour ward was a particularly physical role. I was regularly helping to push beds, supporting women in different positions, lifting items and moving patients. By the end of a shift I was in so much pain that sometimes the next day I could hardly move. Doing such heavy work I have always worried that I might get a hernia one day but I wear supportwear to try and prevent this and avoid manual tasks where I can.

As I am a relatively new midwife I have been rotated to a different department to help consolidate my learning. I am currently with the Community Midwifery team where I care for women antenatally in clinic and postnatally in their homes, after a year and a half of shift work I am really appreciating the daytime hours. Community Midwifery also has the benefit of home visits, I love being able to have my car to store all of my spare supplies and a spare set of uniform. I also get the bonus of driving through the Scottish countryside and seeing all of the farm animals along the way.

I still have good days and bad days, in-fact I recently had a bag burst midway through my clinic and quickly got my bag changed and cleaned up in the space of five minutes.

Funnily enough I still haven’t missed the birth of a baby due to using the bathroom however, I have assisted the births of many babies with a full bag!

Being a part of the most precious and pivotal moments of a woman’s life is such a privilege and honour and I can’t think of a more rewarding job.

Anna