Care for the caregiver.

Abstract

The issue of caring for the midwife caregiver is a complex issue when viewed within a global context. While national health-care systems vary significantly, midwives around the world are affected by the policies of economic globalisation. Caring for the caregiver must take place within the notion of a worldwide community of midwives, where caring for the caregiver is seen as caring for each other. In this address I examine the issue of caring for the caregiver from four perspectives: global, professional, workplace and personal. As midwives living and working in stressful environments, we are called upon to examine the ways in which we may be contributing to the systems that create the stresses. From the capabilities available to us through the International Confederation of Midwives to apply political pressure to global policies, to individual workplace conditions, midwives can affect change. By exploring alternative models and attitudes and challenging the status quo, we can apply our midwifery skills of caring to each other.