Being a midwife is more than a profession, it’s a joy, a privilege and the daily source of immense pride.
When I heard that Pampers wanted to film the ’12 days of Christmas’ as a thank you for midwives, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to show everyone where we work, the experiences we have and together celebrate what we achieve for women and their families together. So I jumped at the chance to be involved!
This wasn’t because I secretly want a part time job as an actress.. (although maybe I have missed my calling!) But because at every opportunity I want to portray what it is like to be a midwife and represent all the thousands of midwives worldwide.
I know how media plays such a role in women’s decision making and views of birth. It can only be helpful to have such a big brand as Pampers show, on TV to millions of people, a realistic portrayal of the work midwives do tirelessly day in, day out. As we know, midwife means ‘with woman’ and this advert really demonstrates this.
The filming took place over 2 days. The crew were very supportive and compassionate to the job, even taking the time to show me that my ‘bum didn’t actually look too big’ on the film!
It took many takes to get things right, due to angles, lighting, additional noises to finally reach the magical moments shown on the advert.
I don’t think we could be happier at the finished advert. It was beautifully filmed and demonstrated a very realistic day of a midwife in a midwife-led birthing environment.
I often get told how patient I am, but film crew have patience on a different level; to take clips over and over again, making sure it’s all exactly what is required is a definite skill. It really paid off seeing the end result.
“I feel immensely proud of being a midwife and of my colleagues. To be able to show this to the world and to be proud together is wonderful.” Emily
The comments on social media have been so positive. Women reflecting on their births or their midwives. Midwives commenting on how they feel to be a midwife. At a time when the media often portrays the NHS in a negative light, this feels like a world apart. We can rejoice in the care we offer, and enjoy feeling recognised and valued.
Pampers will donate £1 every time someone uses the #ThankYouMidwife which goes towards the midwife benevolent fund.
