International Midwife Day is on the 12th of May. The celebration is a way to recognise midwifery, its contribution to new life and motherhood. Across NSW there are over 6,600 registered and employed midwives. 
Chloe J is a midwife at the Sydney Adventist Hospital (the San). Inspired by both her mother and grandmother, who were midwives themselves at the height of their careers, Chloe decided to join the profession as well. After studying nursing, and then later midwifery, Chloe completed her training at the San, and has been a fully registered midwife since 2021.
In her time, Chloe has welcomed around 300 babies into the world, helping to ease mothers through the task of birth.
‘I’m an IVF baby, and I understand how much these babies are wanted. I love being a small part of the journey to parenthood,’ says Chloe.
In the busy months between July and September, the San welcomes 120 to 160 babies monthly. Though Chloe trained for her position, she continues to learn with every birth, particularly how to handle the intense emotional effects of birth.
‘It is unpredictable how someone will react when they are in pain… You have to learn how to communicate with them that they are safe, and this is all a part of the process,’ explains Chloe.
Chloe has found a common misconception about birth is that it is done within a day, and that the process is very cut and dry, following an exact course.
‘In movies you see peoples’ water break, and they go into labour straight away… that’s not at all how it works, except for the lucky ones. It is not super likely that a woman will break her water on her own,’ says Chloe. ‘In reality it can take a few days of niggling contractions to get into active labour.’
There are a number of births Chloe finds memorable in her time working at the San as a midwife, but one sticks out that she holds dear. When she was a student, Chloe had a woman who she was seeing every week until the patient gave birth, and was on call for when the baby was to be born.
‘I got to deliver the baby without the doctor’s help,’ explains Chloe.
The same woman came in for another child years later, and asked for Chloe again to be a part of her birth.
‘She held off her induction until I got there,’ says Chloe. ‘The doctor let me deliver that one as well.’
