A plea from midwives: ‘It’s not rocket science; improve the pay and conditions and we’ll come back to work’
For those who help bring new life into the world, stress is high and money low but they “do it for the love of it” – however, the reality for community-based midwives is that the love is beginning to wear thin.
For Bridget Kerkin, words fail when it comes to describing the responsibility and emotional weight of being a midwife, a role she’s had for more than 20 years, but when it comes to the pay and conditions associated with the job, she has plenty to say.
Spurred on by seeing their fellow midwives reluctantly leave the profession as well as media coverage of midwifery issues around the country – particularly in the Hutt Valley – Kerkin and others wanted to make their voices heard for the sake of the profession’s future.