With our Austin Midwife Spotlight series, we are giving our beloved midwives an outlet to express why they love what they do. Today, we’re spotlighting Charlotte Bellis, a CPM and LM. Charlotte hails from Yateley, a small town in Hampshire, about an hour Southwest of London, England.
Why did you want to become a midwife? How do those ideals guide your work today?
After the care I received from my midwives, I knew I wanted to be able provide the same for other families. Years on, I still rewind to those memories when I’m with families that need something extra or have self-doubting moments.
What’s your favorite part about working at AABC?
I believe for low risk women, who desire to have a non-medicated birth AABC, as a TEAM, we can help them achieve that. If a hospital delivery does become part of the birth, we are lucky to have a great relationship with our local hospitals. They understand and respect the family’s choices.
Do you have any favorite memories from your time at AABC?
I have too many favourite memories to list, but recently during the last session of my Centering Pregnancy group of 11 couples, one experienced mother shared how she didn’t want to do Centering as she was shy, we encouraged her to try to keep coming. It was emotional to hear her relay how the Centering experience and friends she made had helped her confidence grow as a person. Right there was another way we helped someone. It doesn’t always have to be about birth!
What to you is the most rewarding aspect of being a midwife?
I love my job, but know it’s only possible for all the midwives to provide such great care to the families because we are supported by such great medical and administrative colleagues.
If you could tell expectant mothers one message, what would it be?
Many women ask how they will cope with the pain during labour. The message I try to tell them is to have a supportive team, know it is going to hurt, so practice relaxation, ‘let go’ of birth plans and trust yourself and those around you. I’m English, we have a ‘U’ in labour for a reason…
