Midwives making a difference!

24th September 2002

David Ruffley, MP for Bury St Edmunds, will be guest of honour at an Anniversary Celebration marking a successful year for the Lark Midwives Team.

The Lark Midwives have been caring for pregnant women registered with the Mount Farm and Victoria Street surgeries for the past twelve months. The service they provide represent a step forward in the provision of maternity care in Bury St Edmunds.  It includes total care needed during pregnancy, attending the births either in the home or the hospital and giving postnatal care.  They also provide parent-education and breastfeeding workshops within the locality.

"Our slogan is Lark Midwives Making a Difference, and having been a midwife for the past 28 years I can honestly say that the service we now provide is better than at any time in the past," said Gill Lesley, Lark midwife co-ordinator for the team.  "Each member of the team develops a special competency, such as massage, teenage pregnancy, eclampsia or child protection to name but a few.  This specialisation means that patients can benefit from our increased expertise in dedicated areas."

During the Celebration, the 8 members of the Lark Midwives will give out advice and information about all aspects of pregnancy and giving birth.

"The relationship between mother and midwife is important, and can go a long way to making the mother feel relaxed and confident during her pregnancy," said Gill Lesley. "Every member of the Lark Midwives is excited to be part of a team which aims to provide a seamless, professional service to the women in our care.  At the Celebration, anyone expecting a baby will be able to get expert answers to their queries about any aspect of pregnancy, and all will be made very welcome.

"We are delighted that other support groups such as the National Childbirth Trust have shown interest,  and a good variety of services available to pregnant women will be represented.  We are also pleased that David Ruffley will be supporting us, as well as the ex-mayor of St Edmundsbury Cllr Brian Bagnall, and John Parkes, chief executive of West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust."

All patients and past patients have been invited to the Celebration.  Anyone who is interested in a career in midwifery is also welcome to attend.

"I am delighted to support the Lark Midwives as they celebrate a year of caring for pregnant women in Bury St Edmunds," said David Ruffley MP. "Having seen the work they do, I know they provide a vital and effective service, and wish them all very well for the future."