Celebrating International Day of the Midwife - meet Rebecca Buckingham

Midwifery wasn’t on the cards for Rebecca Buckingham – until she had her first child and saw for herself the difference a dedicated healthcare professional can make.

She completed her training while juggling life as a mum of three, and started working for East Kent Hospitals at the beginning of the pandemic.

Almost six years on she is now a clinical research midwife, working with colleagues and families to deliver trials that can help inform and improve care in the future.

Rebecca, who is based at the William Harvey Hospital, said: “When I had my first child, in 2012, I had an amazing health visitor and that was like a light bulb switching on to the difference one person can make.

“I was working in digital communications at the time so it was a big change, and my dad died three weeks into my training.

“It would have been easy to give up, but I realised it was midwifery that was getting me out of bed in the morning.”

Rebecca has worked as a specialist mental health midwife, as well as in a pilot continuity of care team, where the same midwives oversaw people’s care from booking in to birth.

She said: “That was the most fulfilling part of my career so far, and it was what I imagine old-school midwifery was like.

“We had our own caseloads, and did all their care and were really able to get to know families and to support them as best we could.

“It was also amazing to work as a mental health midwife, and to work with women when they are at their most vulnerable.

“It is a privilege to do what I do, and to share moments with women and families, good and bad.”

Rebecca now works with the hospital’s research delivery team, as well as working clinically on the maternity wards.

She said: “I love the fact I can still support women and families, and continue in a role that has the potential to have a real impact on someone, even if it’s in a short 10-minute interaction.

"But I also get to grow the research side. I want to increase the amount of research we do so that we can help improve maternity care.

“A lot of the research in maternity is pharmaceutical or medical, and I would really like to see more holistic research on women’s experience.”