On Tuesday 5 May 2026, we celebrated International Day of the Midwife. This year’s theme was ‘One million more midwives’, highlighting the urgent global shortage of nearly 980,000 midwives.
At Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals, we are proud to recognise our outstanding midwifery teams, who support families through pregnancy, birth, and the early days of life with skill, compassion, and dedication.
Our trust’s Clinical Practice Educators, midwives, and Royal College of Midwives representatives hosted a stand at St Peter’s Hospital, to promote International Day of the Midwife. Passers-by were invited to take part in a “guess the baby’s gestation size by fruit” game, use models to simulate delivering a baby, and write a thank you note to a midwife. They could also add their thoughts to complete the phrase, ‘If the world had a million more midwives…’.
Directory of Midwifery, Dr Benedicta Agbagwara-Osuji, said ‘Thank you to all our midwives working across our hospitals and in the community on International Day of the Midwife. This year’s theme, ‘One million more midwives’, highlights the importance of your role in delivering safe, personalised care every day. Your expertise, professionalism and commitment make a real difference to women, babies, and families in our care. Thank you for all that you do.’
The teams also enjoyed a visit from the breakfast pastry trolley, organised by the Head of Midwifery. Later in the day, Royal College of Midwives representatives hosted a shared lunch where midwives and maternity staff brought dishes representing their heritage. The spread included Indian samosas, Nigerian jollof rice, American pulled pork, and Irish soda bread, reflecting the diversity within the maternity workforce.
In the afternoon, food and gifts were also taken to staff working at the Ashford Hub by the Director of Midwifery, ensuring colleagues across all sites felt included in the celebrations.
It is so important to take time to pause and reflect on the incredible work our teams do, and to celebrate everything they achieve.
