24/06/2026
Why am I posting a photo of an old jug & bowl?
This jug and bowl were used to bathe my Grandad in the early 1900s. Later, my mum and uncle were bathed in them after the Second World War.
They hold more than family history. They hold stories of birth, care, and the midwives who were there. Midwives attended the births of my Grandad and his sister, supported my Nana when she gave birth to my mum in 1945, and were present during my uncle’s shoulder dystocia at home.
Today feels difficult as we reflect on the findings of the Ockenden Report. Families deserve answers, accountability, and safer care.
But this old bowl reminds me that midwives have weathered storms before. Through changing times, criticism, challenges, and scrutiny, we have continued to stand beside women and families when they need us most.
We must learn. We must improve. We must listen.
And we must remember why we do what we do.
Please know that the work we do matters and I am holding all my clinical colleagues, students and birth workers in my heart as well as the families who have been let down
The system is failing, not individuals
