Joy for county Durham and Darlington Trust Midwife Tina Grantham wins North of England’s Emma’s Diary Mums Midwife of the Year 2019
on 07 February 2019 RCM Annual Midwifery Awards Emma's Diary Pre-eclampsia
Nominated by local mum Hannah Mawson, Tina Grantham has been honoured as Emma’s Diary Mums’ Midwife of the Year 2019 for the North of England region. The prestigious award is one of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Annual Midwifery Awards, recognising the incredible work done by exceptional midwives across the country.
Midwives play such a critical role in so many mums’ lives and the Emma’s Diary Mums’ Midwife of the Year Award enables them to pay a heartfelt tribute to their own special midwife who truly surpassed what was expected of them.
Hannah needed consultant led care at 32 weeks due to high blood pressure which had to be controlled with medication. At a 35-week check-up, Hannah was feeling unwell, she had gained weight and felt uncomfortable as her body had swollen. It was apparent that Hannah was showing several warning signs of pre-eclampsia and that she needed to be admitted to hospital immediately. That night, Hannah’s condition worsened, and she was given a drip and advised that she should give birth by caesarean section at 8 am the next morning. It was then that Tina started her shift and the two of them spent the next tense twelve hours together to bring baby Olive into the world.
Hannah Mawson who nominated Tina for the award, explains: “‘I met Tina at my very first booking appointment when she was a community midwife. She explained she was imminently returning to the labour ward and so we may meet again when I go into labour. I could not believe my luck when she was assigned to look after me for my emergency delivery. I was in total shock when I was told I had symptoms of pre-eclampsia. I was so worried for my unborn daughter and the concerns and complications of her being born too early. Tina made sure I understood what was happening, kept myself and my husband calm, not leaving my side whilst I was being prepared for theatre and even during the surgery. At every opportunity Tina took the time to explain what was happening.
“The moment my daughter was delivered, Tina reassured me once again that she was healthy, had huge amounts of hair and was a great size for a baby that had been born 5 weeks early, weighing 6lb 8ozs’. Whilst I was in surgery post birth, Tina had to give my daughter a bottle due to the length of time I was in theatre. This was something we had discussed and I was happy with, but when I was finally in the high dependency unit, Tina helped my daughter latch on and supported me at the start of my breastfeeding journey.”
Hannah Continues, “Tina stayed with us for hours, ensuring both myself and my baby were looked after. She never left my side throughout her whole 12 hour shift. I was so impressed with Tina; her humour and calm and reassuring nature made our difficult birthing experience so much more bearable. I will never forget Tina or what she did for us that day.”
On winning the award Tina Grantham, who works for County Durham and Darlington Trust adds: “I was very surprised and honoured to have been nominated by Hannah for this award. After reading Hannah's nomination, despite complications within her pregnancy and delivery, I am so pleased the care I provided has had a positive impact towards her journey into motherhood. It was a pleasure to contribute to Hannah's overall experience, and I am very grateful to receive this award.”
Emma’s Diary, the UK’s essential support resource for mums to be and new parents, received a record 953 nominations from mums across the UK. All entries were put through a meticulous judging process by a panel of representatives from both Emma’s Diary and the RCM, culminating in seven regional winners.
The RCM’s Annual Awards, now in its 17th year, will be hosted for the first time by popular TV presenter Alex Jones on 5th March 2019. Mum of one, Alex, best known for hosting The One Show, is currently pregnant with her second child. Tina will join the six other regional winners at a celebratory awards ceremony in London, where Tina will receive her trophy and find out who is crowned the coveted national winner.
Faye Mingo, Emma’s Diary’s Chief Marketing Officer, comments: “This is now the fourth consecutive year that we have sponsored this award and the compassion and dedication demonstrated by these midwives continues to blow us away. We have yet again been overwhelmed with entries from mums nominating their extraordinary midwife for the pivotal role they played in their pregnancy and birth journey. Reading their stories is a truly humbling experience and we are so delighted for Tina, who is so deserving of this extra recognition.”
Gill Walton, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, says: “This is a wonderful example of how a caring and compassionate midwife can support and help a woman and her partner through what could be a confusing and worrying birth and postnatal period. I am delighted that Hannah felt so positive about her experience and the care which Tina provided, that she nominated her for this well-deserved award.“
Notes to Editors:
Emma’s Diary Mums’ Midwife of the Year Award – the judging process
Nominations were triple reviewed and a strict scoring system was applied to whittle down the entries to a shortlist of 6-8 per region, before the overall regional winner was announced. Attributes including aiding the strengthening of the bond between mother and baby, support for their emotional care and best practice in helping the mother feel involved and in control were all carefully assessed. In total seven regional winners were awarded from the regions London, South, Midlands & East England, North of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Emma’s Diary
Emma’s Diary is the UK’s essential support resource for mums to be and new parents. Offering advice and support on pregnancy and early post-natal information, via responsible and reliable content that is verified by our very own Healthcare Team (made up of GPs and Midwives) and supported by the RCM.
Emma’s Diary is an Alliance Partner of the RCM, continually working together to provide information and understanding to improve the health and wellbeing of expectant mothers and new families.
Emma’s Diary supports every stage of the journey towards parenthood and beyond by making useful recommendations that match the ongoing needs of all new mums, helping to make the experience of motherhood a positive and reassuring one while offering peace of mind that any information given is medically verified.
Members of Emma’s Diary Parenting Club will also benefit from pregnancy and labour guides, great offers, discounts and free gift packs full of relevant samples to support their pregnancy and post-natal journey.
For more information visit www.emmasdiary.co.uk or contact Emma’s Diary on 01628 522776 or [email protected].
The Royal College of Midwives
The RCM is the only professional organisation and trade union dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team. We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance and information, and learning opportunities with our broad range of events, conferences and online resources.
The Alliance partnership scheme develops relations with like-minded organisations who share similar values and goals. The partnership enables the Royal College of Midwives to promote our work and commitment to maternity professionals.
RCM Alliance Partners
Partners in the Alliance programme work hard to advance the interests of midwives and the midwifery profession. Shared ethics and ideas combine in dedicated support of midwives and all those touched by their care and the Alliance strives to enhance the wellbeing of women, babies and their families. For more information see our Alliance Partners section.
For more information visit the RCM website at https://www.rcm.org.uk/.