Ceri's calling to midwifery

TEN years ago, a 21-years-old Ceri Knobbs applied for a part time job in Altnagelvin Hospital in the hope of earning a bit of extra cash to bolster her income as a childcare worker.

She didn't know that move would set in motion a series of events that would see her realise a lifetime ambition to complete a degree and that she would find her vocation in life.

"Going to university was never an option for me," Ceri, now 31, says. "I was raised by my granny, Isobel Knobbs in Killaloo, and she did a brilliant job but she was never in a financial position to have been able to support me through university.

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"I left school at 16 and took a job in childcare to bring in some money."

It was a chance that led her to apply for the position of a nursing auxiliary at Altnagelvin Hospital in 2000.

The position allowed her to work with children and, after a short time, she trained in looking after children with complex needs.

This ignited her love of learning and, when she was assigned to work in maternity support at the Postnatal Ward, she was delighted when

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the Trust offered her the chance to study for her NVQ Level 3 in caring for adults.

She was further astounded when her manager, Kate McDaid, approached to ask if she had considered a career in midwifery - and revealed the Trust would be willing to second her during her training and fund her return to education.

"The level of support I received was out of this world," she says. "The girls (midwives) on the ward all knew me and they offered me their support throughout my studies. It was a brilliant opportunity - even though prior to working on the maternity ward I had never considered midwifery. I thought I would always be involved in childcare."

Ceri took on a three year Direct Access to Midwifery degree with Queen's University, Belfast, and took her placements in Altnagelvin.

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"The course was split roughly 50/50 between classroom-based learning and placement, so it was very much a case of hands on learning. Thankfully, the other midwives took me under their wing."

Ceri says she will never forget the first birth she attended - although she admits the experience was as terrifying as it was exhilarating.

"I remember wondering what had I let myself in for, but then it was utterly amazing. All of a sudden, there was a baby - it was a brilliant experience.

"I think every birth makes you a little nervous. Even though we are trained to deal with everything, you know that every woman is different and every birth is different. It's a great privilege to be there and support a woman through the experience."

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One of the highlights of the job for Ceri is bonding with each woman as they arrive at the ward and seeing them through labour. She believes her easy-going nature makes this easier for her and that her experience as a nursing auxiliary prepared her for the role.

"I think it is the matter of being communicative, helping the woman get the birth she wants. It helps that I'm amazed every day when I go to work - every day is different."

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