This profession wasn’t her first choice: “After finishing pharmaceutical secondary school in Ruše, I enrolled in a matura course to continue my pharmacy studies. That year gave me a lot, but working in a pharmacy showed me that I’m not meant to be a pharmacist.” During open days, she was drawn to midwifery. “Officially, you need to complete a publicly recognized study program through which a midwife is recognized as a responsible and reliable expert who works in partnership with women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. A lot of knowledge is expected from midwives. You have to love people, you have to love working with them—not just with the laboring women, but also in a team, with colleagues, multidisciplinarily,” she says.
She never runs out of inspiration; she is still full of energy and drive. Women, couples, and families give her strength. “Every experience, every story gives you something. Something that marks and shapes you. In midwifery, you don’t just encounter beautiful moments; perhaps it’s these stories that inspire me with something different. Especially the women who know that their birth will end in silence, without a baby’s cry. These are the women who set an example, give you strength, and make you proud to be a woman because you see how stoically they go through this process. Of course, midwifery is a profession mostly intertwined with baby cries and blissful expressions on women’s faces. That’s the other extreme—it fills you with the warmth and grace you need in this profession.”
The question of whether she ever doubted her calling is interrupted by a loud negative answer: “There are moments when I wish I could practice the profession under different conditions, but I would still be a midwife. Midwifery is an art and a special ability of people, mostly women. Midwives are supernatural beings. I am a midwife with heart and soul. And this fact fills me with very special feelings; my heart starts dancing wildly. In my years of work, I’ve seen where the shortcomings of public institutions lie. Where that little gap is that needs to be filled so that women get the information that would help them.” That’s why, in addition to parenting classes, she offers a workshop on physiological pregnancy so that expectant mothers can learn about the changes, how they can ease certain issues through daily activities, and what they need to pay attention to.
Midwives today are not like midwives used to be
Today’s midwives are trained to recognize complications during pregnancy and childbirth, know how to react appropriately and seek medical help, etc. “In the past, doctors took control over normal pregnancies and births. That’s why we midwives and midwifery as a profession found ourselves in a difficult situation to regain our position and reputation. It’s important that we become a profession and start operating according to our competencies and taking responsibility for them. But there is still a long way to go, as the system cannot be changed overnight. The generations of midwives from 30 years ago and today are also so different that greater cooperation and listening would be very welcome. We must combine all this knowledge and experience, as each generation has its own specifics,” Pavel reflects.
p.s: error in the article – the photo author is Mavrični trenutek foto Vidmar
Source: Večer.com
