Meet The Instructor: Tanith

Tanith is a midwife, lactation consultant and antenatal instructor for Bump & Baby Club Victoria Park, London. She spoke to us about what drew her to a career in midwifery and why she believes it’s one of the most extraordinary jobs in the world…

After taking a psychology degree I realised I wanted a vocational career and became curious about midwifery. I managed to get work experience for one day within a maternity unit and was lucky enough to witness a birth while I was there. It was the most incredible thing I had ever seen and I came away in disbelief that people actually got paid to do this work every day! I loved the excitement within the maternity unit and the environment. From that point onwards, whenever I walked by a hospital, I would think about the joyful things going on inside and want to be a part of it.

There is nothing like midwifery – you have a personal window into someone’s life and seeing couples at their most vulnerable moment, and also at their most loving moment, is a privilege. I love being able to support them through a life-changing day, one they’ll never forget, and there have been many, many breathtaking moments.

Having my own children, both born via emergency c-section, reinforced my belief that none of us know exactly how we’re going to ‘be’ during birth or what cards we will be dealt, and we need to be ready to navigate different situations.

All types of birth can be positive, as long as you feel at peace with your decisions. I believe if we can empower women with knowledge during pregnancy and teach them that they don’t need to be passive during birth and they can take ownership of decision-making, we can protect them from birth trauma and change the course of their lives. Birth trauma can last a lifetime and affect children too - so protecting women from this is one of the most important things I can do as a midwife and antenatal teacher.

Tanith’s Victoria Park antenatal class, at Royal Inn on the Park