Friday, May 5 marked the international day of the midwife and the women, two of Griffith Base Hospital’s dedicated maternity ward staff, opened up to The Area News about the reality of the role they play in caring for the city’s mothers and babies.

Last year the Murrumbidgee Local Health District delivered 2,050 babies into the world.

Around 500 of those took their first breath in Griffith Base Hospital and both Ms Beer and Ms McKelvie said while it may have been a sight they’ve seen countless times, the moment a new mother or father is handed their child is something that never fails to take your breath away.

“It never dies off,” Ms McKelvie said.

“Just watching them fall in love with their new baby, some people just cry – both mothers and fathers.”

Having seen countless women through the labour process the pair had some advice to spare for expectant mothers soon to come their way.

“Just to enjoy their pregnancy, it is a bit hard to enjoy labour, but to enjoy their babies because they grow up so fast,” Ms Beer said, admitting the last piece was coming from more from her as a mother than a midwife.

With many a story floating around about the horrors of the birthing process the pair said there were some women who were stressed as they entered a delivery room.

But it is something they assure all mothers it is not worth worrying about, promising whatever happens in the delivery room always stays there.

“We keep it all behind the curtain,” Ms Beer said. “Most definitely.”

With both women no strangers to the realities of hospital life, with experience in and out of the maternity ward, they said they’ve seen more than their fair share of changes over the years.

But one of the biggest changes Ms Beer said was allowing men into the delivery room alongside their wives.

“That was a huge change,” she said.

“The thing about the dads is that sometimes they are more emotional than the mothers.

“Some men don’t really like it, but they are there and that is what is important.”

Advances in technology have also changed the profession and as the hospital cares for an increase high risk patients things like CTG machines, which provide a trace of babies hearts, have become invaluable to staff in the maternity ward.

Sadly, sometimes despite this technology the result can be out of their hands, with helping mothers through the loss of a child also part of what they do. “There can be heartbreaking times, we have had some sad days,” Ms McKelvie said. “We debrief with each other, you have to keep your emotions to yourself until you get away from the family, because while it is emotional for us it is nothing compared to what they are going through.”