Midwifery student wins award
Posted on 4 July 2017
A midwifery student from the Department of Health Sciences has been awarded an Iolanthe student award, set up to support midwifery education, practice and research.
Sophie Hall, a second year midwifery student, travelled to Mexico in April this year where she spent two weeks learning from Angelina Martinez Miranda, an inspirational local midwife who blends traditional techniques with modern practice, working to provide holistic and loving midwifery care to women within her community.
Supporting work in the birth centre, Sophie was able to learn about traditional practices, including the use of the rebozo (shawl) for pelvic alignment and optimal positioning of the baby, antenatal and postnatal massage and bathing and moxibustion.
Registered as a charity in 1983, the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust was developed to support the practice and education of midwives, aiming to improve the care of mothers, babies and families through awarding grants and fellowships in support of midwifery education, practice and research. The Iolanthe student award was set up in 2002 to assist pre-registration midwifery students seeking support for attendance at study days or to undertake elective visits.
Sophie said: "I am so grateful to the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust for enabling me to undertake my elective placement in Mexico with Angelina, the midwife who inspired my own journey into midwifery. The skills and principles of care I have learned in Mexico form a key part of my education and in the development of the future practices I hope to share with others. I would really encourage others to apply."
The awards ceremony will take place in London in September and applications for the 2018 awards will open in November. For more information on the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust visit https://www.iolanthe.org/