I’m Tiziana, an Italian midwife and I’m partecipating in the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program. My business plan is to become an independent midwife, and to provide midwifery care at women’s homes. This kind of care is not very developed in Italy and specially in my city, Potenza.
My dream is so attend home births, because I feel that a hospital is not the right environment for me to work in. Here in United Kingdom, my host and her team welcomed me for three months.
Thery are experienced independent midwives who offer midwifery care in women’s homes, and provide family centred, evidence based care during pregnacy, birth and parenting, working around Yorkshire.The day after I arrived in UK I joined them for a study day for aspiring mdiwives in York, and got to know the team.
Sharyn, my host, is passionate about supporting the autonomy of women as they make the right choices for them, and protecting the delicate yet extraordinarily resilient ecology of birth. She is also an actvist for human rights.
Chris, the first Yorkshire Storks midwife, believes that giving birth is part of a continuum, a life event, and that good midwifery helps keep everything normal.
Debs became an independent midwife after 3 years experience in the NHS: her special interests are breastfeeding, babywearing and supporting families.
Claire is also a photographer and an artist, and in the past she was an machanic!! She loves to be able to offer individualised care.
Every week there is a team meeting at Deb’s house that I attend. Usually we discuss the clinical situation of every woman using the service, which is very important because every midwife meets the same woman, making sharing of information essential for continuity of care. During the meeting the apponintments are planned for the following week, which is important for my understanding of how to manage a team.
To be continued…
Tiziana De Grazia
