YOU CANT POUR FROM AN EMPTY CUP
Midwives, similar to other healthcare professionals, frequently encounter significant stress and pressure in their work settings. There are a number of mental health issues that can result from this, including:
Burnout: Midwives are prone to burnout due to the demanding nature of their work, long hours, limited control over their workload, and the emotional stress of caring for mothers. The situation is worsened by the critically low ratio of midwives to mothers, which fails to address the shortcomings in maternal and child healthcare adequately.
Anxiety and depression: Continuous exposure to labor pain, challenging deliveries, illness, suffering, and occasionally death can impact midwives’ mental health significantly. As women, midwives empathetically experience the pain that various laboring women endure. This can sometimes be overwhelming, leading to anxiety and depression.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Midwives, especially those in emergency, trauma, or intensive care environments, may encounter traumatic incidents that have the potential to lead to PTSD.
Compassion fatigue: The emotional exhaustion that midwives can experience from caring for others is likely to lead to feelings of detachment, numbness, and cynicism on their part.
Substance abuse: It is not uncommon for health workers to resort to substances like drugs or alcohol as a means of dealing with the stress and demands of their profession
‘Midwives must prioritize their mental well-being and seek support when necessary. It is equally important for employers to offer resources and counselling services to help prevent and manage mental health concerns within their workforce’.
Midwives Voices
In 2023, young midwife leaders in Uganda launched a groundbreaking campaign focused on mental health for midwives, which garnered intriguing responses from the global midwifery community.
Midwives Voices
“Asking for help when necessary is perfectly acceptable. There’s no need to bear the world’s burdens alone. Cherish the little joys, and allow yourself moments to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. You are a treasure to those around you, but don’t forget to treat yourself with the same care and kindness”.
Midwives Voices
Your well-being is equally important as the well-being of those you care about. Remember to prioritize your own needs.
“It’s alright to seek help when necessary. You don’t have to bear the world’s burdens alone.”
Midwives Voices
“You cannot pour from an empty cup. Prioritize your well-being. Self-care isn’t selfish; you can’t serve from an empty vessel. It’s permissible to pause. If you neglect your own care, you can’t be of help to others. Even as a healer, you require healing. Dedicate time to your own care.”
