Sandra Mawdesley was attending a celebratory event at the RVI, in recognition of International Day of the Midwife, as part of her role as a Governor for the Trust.
Sandra, who has now retired, worked for the trust for over 17 years before becoming a Governor. She brought along some photos of the day her daughter was born to share with other midwives at the event, she added:
“As soon as I started to talk to Kate, I thought I had a connection with her.
“When I had my daughter at the Princess Mary, a midwife had taken over my care during the night shift. My daughter was breech, but Kate had examined me and told me that I would need a caesarean, she said ‘Do you know you are having a big baby?’.
“After I told the group this story, the team of midwives said – that sounds like something Kate would say – and it was!
“Kate recognised another midwife in one of my photos, but I knew I had a photo of Kate holding my daughter at home.”
Retired midwife, Kate Robison, has worked in the NHS for over 47 years – 5 and a half as a nurse before becoming a midwife, Kate commented:
“Sandra was talking about her birth experience, and I had thought – that sounds like me!
“I have been a midwife for over 40 years, and I have cared for over 2000 women and helped to deliver over 1000 babies – I have a mental note of them all and call them ‘my babies’.”
Sandra, who now spends her time supporting the trust as a Governor, recalls the moment she was told she’d be having a caesarean section, she said:
“It wasn’t normal for partners to be in the theatre for a caesarean, but Kate and the team had persuaded my husband, Kevin, to be there as we welcomed my daughter into the world.
“It is amazing to meet up years later after she was my midwife in 1992 – it just shows the bond of a midwife, and a patient is long-lasting.”
Kate added, “It’s an absolute privilege to be a midwife and it’s so wonderful to see photos of Sandra’s daughter now grown up.
“It was lovely to spend the afternoon recalling the time and I am so happy to be reunited with Sandra after 33 years and hear all about how her daughter is doing.”
