Isle of Wight NHS Trust midwife, Kirsty Arnold, has been named as one of this year’s Top Ten Birth Workers worldwide and is in the final to reach Birth Worker of the Year after being nominated by Ryde mum, Charlotte Pugmire.
Charlotte, who gave birth to daughter Darcie in April earlier this year, decided to nominate Kirsty for the outstanding care and support she gave her during the delivery.
Charlotte said,
“Kirsty was incredible during my c-section with Darcie. I have never met someone so passionate about their job or profession. Kirsty took the time to explain everything to me and my partner, she made sure I wasn’t in any pain, and was just a constant source of support throughout my whole delivery.
“I really was so in awe of Kirsty and how much of a difference it made to my delivery. I was incredibly unwell during my second pregnancy however Kirsty was so reassuring made such a positive impact. My mum was also unable to come through to theatre due to infection risk but Kirst went out of her way to make her feel as included as possible. Which is why I decided to nominate Kirsty for this award.”
During Charlotte’s pregnancy the midwifery team discovered Charlotte had an extra piece of placenta which caused a complication.
Using her knowledge Kirsty took time to ensure the entire placenta was removed and even retained it for us to be able to see where it was.
Charlotte continued,
“It also wasn’t until my delivery that they knew Darcie has tied herself into a true, which is when the umbilical cord ties into a tight knot.
“Kirsty was amazing showing us everything and passing on all her knowledge to us explains what everything was and how it all works – it was incredible!”
Since the news was announced, other mums who had been supported by Kirsty have echoed Charlotte’s sentiments on social media.
Kirsty trained at Bournemouth University and completed her placement at Isle of Wight NHS Trust before qualifying as a midwife in September 2022.
After finding out that she had been nominated for the Birth Worker of the Year Award, Midwife Kirsty said,
“It was a lovely surprise to find out Charlotte had nominated me for this award, and an even bigger shock to find out I have reached to top 10. I am thrilled that I was able to make Charlotte’s birthing experience such a positive one and it was wonderful to be with the family as Darcie was born.”
Director of Midwifery at Isle of Wight NHS Trust, Amanda Pearson said,
“This is fantastic news, and just demonstrates the positive and lifelong experience that Kirsty will have on Charlotte and her family. We are extremely privileged to have her as part of the team.”
The winner of the Birth Becomes You, Best of Birth will be announced in mid-July 2023
News shared by Isle of Wight NHS Trust, in their own words. Ed
Image: Mark, Kirsty, Darcie and Charlotte
