Community midwives Teresa McCreery, Katie Cosgrove, Clodagh Manning and Margaret Hanahoe celebrating 25 years of midwifery-led care
Some days, my life reads like a litany of errors of judgment. But I got a few things right. Chief among them was having my babies with the community midwives in Holles Street. While my peers flocked to private consultants, I was so determined to have my maternity care with the midwives that I moved house.
Well, strictly speaking, moved apartment. Twenty years ago, I was renting in Smithfield in Dublin’s north inner city. The National Maternity Hospital at Holles Street was the only hospital running midwifery-led maternity care, but in its catchment area of Dublin’s southside. So we moved to Blackrock to qualify. That baby, who will turn 21 this year, was followed by two more, each delivered by the midwives for whom I feel life-long gratitude.
